


Negotiating the Spark - OUTDATED

by DinobotGlitch, Xobit



Category: Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Ancient Greece & Rome, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Fusion, Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, Alternate Universe - Mythology, F/F, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-25
Updated: 2015-10-01
Packaged: 2017-11-17 00:14:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 105,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/545384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DinobotGlitch/pseuds/DinobotGlitch, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xobit/pseuds/Xobit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Warlord of Kaon finally gets some answers about the bond mate he has been looking for though many vorns. A young Iaconian noble gets his life turned upside down. Is it all to the good?</p><p>This story is being revised and this version of it will be deleted soon.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prelude

**Author's Note:**

> My Coauthor for this one is the lovely [Rocklight-Tippers](http://rocklight-tippers.deviantart.com/) from DeviantArt who also patiently Edits everything Greek'verse

Megatron, feared warlord of Kaon, was a lonely mech. He had searched Kaon for his bond mate He had searched Vos and Simfur. He had even obtained the right to search the ranks of the Helixian monks! There were no more places he could freely search, the rest of Cybertron's many city-states closed to him because of the wars of the past. No matter that his wars had been fought off planet and against attackers not as the attacker.

He had one choice left the great oracle of Praxus, who had thus far been unable or unwilling to answer his question. If he knew where to find his mate-to-be he could start whatever political measures needed to get to him. That was why he stood before the frail, veiled femme for what felt like the millionth time since his search began, head held high and voice firm as he asked his questions.

The oracle never spoke to him, simply lifting slender hands in a graceful gesture that seemed to cut a piece out of the very atmosphere. Shimmering lines of power followed her fingers, creating an oval that rose up to his optics and showed an image of a young mech

"So this is my mate?"

Megatron knew he did not sound happy. This would undoubtedly prove to be the most difficult thing he had ever had to do. It was useless to try and berate the oracle though he had no jurisdiction here on Praxus, isle of prophesies, and it would bar him from what help the techno-magi could and would give.

The mech in the shimmering image was clearly an Iaconian, a mechling just barely out of his younglinghood and not yet adorned with the red cape of a fully fledged soldier. He was a fine young mech, tall and lithe still a bit gangly but obviously well on his way to be a powerful warrior. Had he been anything but an Iaconian It would be a political nightmare, first convincing his own nobles of the need for a peace treaty with Iacon and then convincing Iacon that the price for the treaty they had long wanted would be an innocent young mech.

"I thank you for your time, Oracle." Bowing his helmet in regal respect the warlord retreated from the hallowed halls of the Oracle of Praxus. His purple and crimson cape billowing out behind him he strode towards his armored skimmer and the waiting escort of elite Vosian Seekers. His intended was still young he had time to plan and woo him. Yesss woo him! The mech was old enough that a secret admirer would be exciting and tempting, yet young enough that gifts and attention would push him in a favorable direction.

"Winglord Starscream, let us return to Kaon I believe we have much to discuss." His Vosian counterpart tilted his head in query and joined him in the skimmer after only a moment of hesitation. Megatron knew that he was as anxious about the answer he had gained since the Winglord had known he would not find his mate before the Kaonite warlord found his

"Steelspark! Bring me Barricade and Soundwave as soon as we land; I have a very special mission for them" Shutting the door to the private cabin after having given his mech-servant this order, Megatron turned to Starscream and smiled with triumph and no little wonder. "Iacon he is from Iacon"

And the plotting began.

* * *

The young mech that warlord had sent them to spy on was popular, a good student and a good warrior. As yet untried but that was something that would change soon enough. All in all, their leader could have done much worse in his Intended

The mech was named Optronix and he was an orphan from one of the noble houses and so his life was firmly controlled by his guardian, High Scholar Ratbat. As far as Soundwave and Barricade could determine, the mech had no love interests, most of his 'friends' were of the higher echelons of society His real friends though, were a small group of misfits; a medic in training, an engineer in training and the youngest ever scientist to graduate from the Iaconian Institute of Science. It also held, to the horror of both Kaonites, two femme exchange students out of Yuss, the blasphemous femme state. Luckily the femmes were a bonded couple and so posed no threat to the warlord's Intended.

It had taken them almost half a groon to establish themselves and gather their information, but now they were ready to start the 'campaign'. Which was why Barricade was standing in Optronix' dorm room with a package The young mech had just begun training with energy bows and as per the usual, his scholar guardian had refused him a weapon of his own. The bow Barricade was about to leave cost more than Optronix' estates earned him in an entire groon.


	2. The First Gift

Optronix groaned and rolled over onto his front as his internal alarm clock went off, telling him he had exactly eight breems to get his aft up and make sure he had everything ready for his classes that orn. Someday, he would make a law that said instruction wasn't allowed to start so early in the orn…

Grumbling, the red and blue mech pushed himself up and slid off the berth. It wouldn't do to be late to class, regardless of his own desires. High Scholar Ratbat got upset with him when that happened and the lectures that followed such incidents were always timed to cut into his archery practice; it was the only way the mech could truly deny him the right to study and practice the art. So lost in his thoughts was Optronix that he didn't realize he had tripped over something until he was laying face first on the other side of the room, groaning in pain and disorientation. 

“What the slag…?” 

Pushing himself up again, the young mech looked back toward the berth and blinked in surprise at the long, thin, black box sitting in front of it, undoubtedly the cause of his sudden meeting with the floor. Someone had to have snuck in and left it there, but what was it? Curiosity dictated he open the box and find out but suspicion had him calling Wheeljack to check it out first. Once the tech-trainee had deemed it safe though, Optronix wasted no time in undoing the clasps and opening it, eager to see what was inside. He was sure they had both made an embarrassingly squeaky sound at the sight of what lay inside, but the Iaconian couldn't bring himself to care just then. The bow, for that was what it was, was beautiful, obviously custom made and of extremely high quality, no doubt costing someone quite a bit… 

A small data pad lay atop it in the plush case, a little red light flashing to indicate that it held an unread message, so he picked that up first. In simple but elegant script, it read:

_‘My first gift to you, Optronix. I have high expectations for you, so make me proud._

_Sincerely, your secret admirer’_

Secret admirer? He had a secret admirer? The very thought made the red and blue mech's entire frame feel a dozen degrees hotter as embarrassment and pleasure coursed through him. Even as he rushed to class the feeling remained, and he wondered when, or even if he would meet this 'secret admirer'. Was it someone he knew? Somehow, the noble doubted it. No one he knew would just throw so many credits away for one item when they had no assurance that he would return their feelings…

* * *

Wheeljack was curious. Who could have sent such an expensive item to Optronix? Let alone arranged for it to be delivered in his private dorm room. The box alone was worth a small fortune, made of imported organic wood and fabrics! It had to be another noble, but it also had to be one far above Optronix in rank. Maybe the truck had an idea of his own? Quickly, he opened a text window to Optronix’s work pad and scribbled a message on his own, then pressed send and nearly vibrated in his seat, causing Ratchet to elbow him in the side and hiss that he better be quiet. Well, Optronix hadn’t said it was a secret so… Scribbling another message, he tilted his work pad for Ratchet to see. 

_‘Optronix got a gift this morning! :3’_

Primus, Wheeljack was so excitable! One wondered what one saw in the silly mech sometimes... Though the fact that Optronix had received a present from someone was rather intriguing, regardless of his personal dilemmas involving the green and white mech. Picking up his own work pad, Ratchet replied with a quick: 

_‘Really? Do you know who it's from? Does Optronix know who it's from?’_

He scooted it to the edge of his work surface once he was done writing and picked up another pad to write a couple of notes on what their instructor was talking about. He could transfer it to his file on the other pad later; if he didn't let the engineer-in-training get the news out now, the mech would probably burst from excitement.

Of course Wheeljack would want to know… 

_‘No, the note just said ‘your secret admirer’ and I don't recognize the print.’_

The red and blue noble sent the message back, ducking his head when the instructor looked his way suspiciously. No doubt Wheeljack was already spreading the news of his rather extravagant gift, and all of his friends would be begging for information during break... Optronix sighed, exasperated and amused with how hungry for gossip his friends could be. Of course they wouldn't tell just anyone, they weren't that cruel. But he would be teased mercilessly until someone fessed up and said they had sent the bow, and then they, especially the femmes, Elita and Firestar, would squeal and giggle over it endlessly like the odd creatures they were.

Ratchet’s question coincided with Optronix’ message and Wheeljack simply added his own note under the noble’s answer: 

_‘No! But it is someone with a lot of credits to his name. It was beautiful even the box was beautiful… Wood, can you believe that? Black wood and crimson fuzzy fabric.’_

Tilting it for Ratchet to see, he dutifully looked at the schematics shown on the black screen… youngling play! His creators had taught him most of this before he was officially given his youngling shell. Still, it was an obligatory course to take. Maybe he should message Firestar, Perceptor and Elita? Naw, it could wait ‘til break. Ratchet indicated he was done reading and Wheeljack quickly sent a new question to Optronix: 

_‘So? No ideas at all…? I mean, you must have some idea. Could it be someone from that ball your guardian forced you to be at?’_

_‘Wood? Seriously? Organic wood, are you sure it wasn't just designed to look like it?’_

Ratchet could hardly stop himself from just asking verbally. Only the highest nobles could afford something like that – at least, afford something like that and so frivolously give it away. So many things had to be done to preserve such a casing that even nobles rarely possessed or even saw it, and for someone to give it to Optronix… He hastily wrote another message while Wheeljack was replying to Optronix, saying: 

_‘Someone really high up must have met him at some point and decided to court him or something; do you think he's told High Scholar Ratbat yet? And what is the gift, anyway?’_

Optronix paused to think about Wheeljack’s question as he wrote down the next formula in his work, but no one from that ball stuck out in his mind. He wrote back: 

_‘No... No one really showed such a strong interest in me. There were offers of course, but nothing to imply something as strong as what that bow and case did. I’m just as clueless as you are at this point.’_

_‘Very much seriously! Black wood and crimson fabric. And I know wood! I take Perceptor’s course remember? We were allowed to handle the university’s store of organic material. This wasn’t fake anything.’_

Tilting the pad, Wheeljack resisted the urge to pout at Ratchet – he wasn’t that much of a scatter processor! But hey! Maybe Perceptor knew where they imported black wood it was worth a try and the scientist had said he would come to have his energon with them today. That was what he told Optronix in his next message before glancing at Ratchet’s next message: 

_‘No he just got it and frankly I don’t think the High Scholar will be very happy… it was a bow. Ops has no idea who it might be, it’s really weird and rather romantic, don’t you think?’_

_‘Wow! I’m kind of jealous… I would love something organic. Optronix must be overheating in excitement; I know I would be!’_

Ratchet had to wait a moment for the instructor to look away again before he could show his message and read Wheeljack’s next one. The very idea of such an exotic gift was enough to make him see why Wheeljack had been so excited to share the news! The mech’s following message was a surprise, and Ratchet had to reread it before making a reply. 

_‘A bow? So it would be someone on campus, or who has been here recently, right? High Scholar will be slagging furious, but he won’t take it away, I don’t think, since it was a gift. It is kind of romantic though; you can definitely tell that whoever it is has been paying attention.’_

With a slight grin, Optronix replied: 

_‘Yeah, if anyone knows, it’s Perceptor! He deals with a lot of the imported organic stuff before it’s shipped, so he might be able to figure out where it goes after they’re done with it!’_

The thought was encouraging. Maybe if he knew who it was before he told his guardian, the older mech wouldn’t be quite so upset. It was a gift from a wealthy mech, undoubtedly smart and politically powerful, which was a sure thing to please Ratbat any orn, even if the specifics of the gift didn’t.

Wheeljack caved and wrote them back at the same time since their instructor had begun sending them pointed glances. 

_‘Yeah, very romantic and it has to be someone who can come and go as he pleases. How else would he be able to get it into your room at night? Or even know that you needed a bow, and it’s a tool not one of those silly dress kinda things that some of the other nobles run around with – guys, we have to finish this at noon meal. Old Sparky is on the prowl.’_

This time their teacher had decided to stop whatever they were doing personally since glaring hadn’t done the job. Wheeljack quickly sent and erased the messages, going back to his note screen.

* * *

Classes seemed to drag on forever after Wheeljack’s last message, but eventually they were freed from the stuffy rooms and allowed to meet up with the rest of their little group out on the grounds. 

Perceptor had apparently taken it upon himself to get everyone’s energon that orn, which the three mechs thanked him for after sitting down on the available benches. Elita and Firestar were talking animatedly about something between kisses – a normal thing for them since they were bonded – as Optronix greeted them. They paused just long enough to give the three late-comers an enthusiastic, “Hello!” before going back to their conversation, something about some mech’s tacky paint job. Femmes. 

Since they weren’t interested in talking with the outside world just yet, the noble turned his attention to his similarly painted friend. “Hey, Perceptor, surprised you’re out so early today. Isn’t the class you usually teach before break really rowdy?”

Perceptor shook his head. “No, they were switched to my last class of the orn so that I could hold them over as long as needed without cutting into anyone else’s time. A really nice change, I must say. How are you three doing today? You’re all looking quite cheerful.”

“Just wait ‘til you hear what Optronix has to tell!” Wheeljack couldn’t keep from bursting out in a gleeful tone. The news wasn’t his to tell but he had to say something! He also really hoped Perceptor could help because he had never heard of anyone in Iacon importing black wood… red though, red was the color of warriors and what its presence in the gift signified he wasn’t sure. It could simply be that it was a weapon, it could be that the gift giver was a warrior or maybe it signified the ‘secret admirer’s wish for Optronix to become a warrior. If the last… would Ratbat ever get a sparkflux! There was no ignoring such a thing as a gift costing a credit pile fit for buying a minor mansion. 

Firestar paused in the middle of describing Flarcove’s latest fashion disaster of a paint job and reverted her attention to Optronix and his friends. “What’s gotten you up in a knot, ‘Jack? You sound like… Ohh!”

“Something romantic? You think so, Firestar…?” Elita squealed her bondmate’s thought out and dramatically flung herself across the red and orange femme’s lap. “Tell, tell, telltelltell!” 

Flustered at being the center of attention, Optronix rubbed the back of his helm, sheepishly looking into his energon cube. 

“Er, well, when I got up there was a box in my room today,” he started awkwardly. “It was really expensive and rare, you could tell just by looking at it that whoever sent it was going all out… The casing was made of all organic materials, from what we could tell, and the most beautiful bow was inside…” Realizing that he was starting to sound like one of the femmes when they were talking about their bondmate, the red and blue mech figuratively shook himself back into a more acceptable mannerism and continued. “But we don’t know who it was from. All it said was ‘your secret admirer’, and I’ve never seen that writing style before so I can’t even begin to guess who it was.”

Leaning forward, Perceptor asked, “Real organic materials? Whose attention did you catch? It would take me vorns to save up enough for something like that, and if the bow is for practical use rather than decoration, I can imagine the mass of the case that holds it, and that is not something most would just give away,” that there was someone who was willing to do that to get Optronix’s attention meant that either the mech was crazy, or he really wanted the young noble. Admittedly, Optronix was quite attractive, and his intelligence and warrior skills were nothing anyone would stick up their nose at, but it was nothing short of a miracle that he would garner the desire of an obviously wealthy and influential mech, much less receive such a gift before he was being officially courted.

Ratchet snorted and pushed the femmes back a little, but gently because he didn’t want to hurt their feelings. “Give the mech some space, ya gossip feeders,” he growled good-naturedly. Femmes really didn’t make any sense; gossip was almost as good as energon for them most of the time. Add romance in and there’s no way you could keep them from getting the information, one way or another.

“Yes, real organic materials! It was black wood and red fuzzy fabric… who imports black wood, Percy? I have never seen or heard of it before,” Wheeljack was too bubbly of a person to let the fact that everyone seemed skeptical about the ‘real wood’ thing get him down. “Oh! That reminds me, it’s all in perfect condition, really well taken care of and oiled, but Optronix’ mechservant needs to be told how to keep it that way… unless you want to do that yourself, Ops?”

Moving a little backwards and hugging Elita ecstatically, Firestar contrived to ignore Ratchet. Elita stuck her glossa out at him but the altercation never happened as both the Yussians lost their jaws at the news. “Real organic material? That’s like a major fortune…” Firestar breathed the words reverently… she had a bracelet made of honey colored wood and treasured it more then all her other jewelry together. 

“But… but that has to be a giant box! A real bow for you is like… big!” Elita looked wide opticked at the much larger Optronix. “I mean… really, really, really… oh wow, whoever it is must be very sure he can win your affection…”

“I’ll probably do it myself, and it is a big box. You guys can see it later, if you want? I won’t take the case with me to practice, but I want to try out my bow as soon as possible,” Optronix said. He could hardly wait to do so; the bow looked like it would be absolutely perfect for him… 

Smiling at Elita, he replied, “Well, we’ll see, won’t we? Maybe I’ll get lucky and the mech is my intended and Lord Scholar Ratbat will allow me to bond with him. I know he means well, but Ratbat is very… difficult to live with.”

“Black wood?” the instructor repeated absently, frowning thoughtfully. “We don’t get uncured black wood here in Iacon, but I know Simfur and Kaon get it every so often; even then it’s some of the rarest organic material on the planet,” which emphasized the price of the item even more… Perceptor could only think of a few that would be able to afford such nice things, and they were the elite of the elite of Cybertron. So high up there that one would require an intergalactic telescope to see their vapor trails, as some would say.

“So no way to track who might have ordered the case to be made?” Ratchet asked. That was too bad, he was probably almost as curious as Optronix by now to find out who the mystery mech was. And if he wasn’t, the femmes and Wheeljack sure were!

“Simfur and Kaon? They are both warrior states… that’s weird I didn’t think that Iacon City had any ties with the purely war oriented states. We haven’t even been in a real war for ugh… mega-vorns!” Wheeljack nibbled at his finger tips, his mask retracted and energon cube hanging haphazardly from his other hand. “Well assuming we had the funds to bribe high ranking servants of Simfur or Kaon’s noble houses we might find out but… yeah.” 

“Ohh that’s so romantic!” Firestar bent down to kiss Elita on her olfactory component before saying anything else, a habitual reaction to their excitement. “Simfur’s ruler is a Dinobot he is really, really huge and powerful. What?” everyone but the giggling Elita was looking at her as if she had spouted horns. 

“Simfur is on Yuss border, silly heads, and Fire’s right! Warlord Grimlock is a hunk as mechs go… Kaon though? They dislike femmes, all of them are very dedicated to be warriors and the city is dedicated to Unicron,” Elita ruined her presentation by giggling every two words and even the name of the war god sounded less then intimidating coming from the small pink femme. 

“Iacon keeps in contact with all of the states; I heard a couple of Kaonites were even here on official business a couple of groons ago, and I’m pretty sure they still haven’t left yet,” Optronix said distractedly once he’d gotten over staring at the giggling femmes. He had been hoping Perceptor had some sort of lead, but it seemed that they were at a dead end for now… Oh well. He wouldn’t let it keep him down. 

Finishing the last of his energon, Optronix stood up and stretched, sighing as the kinks in his shoulder joints worked themselves out. “Well, maybe my ‘secret admirer’ will leave a little more of a clue next time?”

Perceptor nodded and finished his own cube. “Yes, we’ll hope they do, because now I’m intrigued as well. Whoever’s optic you caught is not someone who would play around, and I find myself most curious to learn their identity,” the scientist checked his internal chronometer and stood. “I must be off, unfortunately, I have a lab experiment to prepare for. Don’t go getting into any trouble, and I’ll try to come by again tomorrow. If not, I’ll be expecting you to keep me up-to-date, Wheeljack,” he said as he pushed in his chair. With a short wave, Perceptor left, making a mental list of all of those that would be able to afford the gift Optronix had received as he made his way back to his instruction room. He would be able to start deducing the possible gift givers from there, and produce his theories next time they could all meet.

Ratchet found it hard to concentrate on the topic as he watched Wheeljack’s denta scrape over the edges of his fingers, but he managed to wave in Perceptor’s direction as the instructor left, though talking was a little more difficult. “You femmes are odd. Kaonites are odd, too,” shrugging, he picked up his empty cube and got up. “It seems only time will produce information on Optronix’s admirer, so I’m gonna head off, too. I’m supposed to report to the medical center soon anyway for my next set of practical exams. Are you gonna stick around here or are you walking with me, ‘Jack?”

Almost losing his grip on the half-full cube Wheeljack started and then jumped to his pedes. “Silly, of course I am going to walk you to class; don’t I always?” tossing back the last of his fuel, he waved at the others and then tucked his arm under Ratchet’s. As always, completely oblivious to the slight stiffening in the other mech’s body. 

“What are they about this time? Don’t tell me that your instructor is going to open his panel again!” he could hear the two femmes breaking out in fresh peals of laughter at the reminder.

“Uh, well we need to go, too! We’ll see the bow at training, right?” Firestar smiled at Optronix and pushed the still laughing Elita off her lap. Hauling them both up with practiced ease she slung one pink arm over her shoulder and began scolding her mate for her lack of public grace. It wasn’t a very hard a scolding though. 

“Oh stop it, Fire’! You know you like it…” Elita’s voice drifted on the wind, a husky seductive purr that ended in a yelp. The last thing seen was the pink femme irately chasing her bondmate out of the plaza, one hand pressed to her aft. 

Optronix shook his head in amusement at the two femmes’ display, waving good-bye to them as they disappeared around one of the buildings. “I guess I’ll see you guys after class today?” he asked the remaining mechs, and smiled when they both nodded. “Great! Well, I’d better be going too, so I’ll see you guys later. Bye!” He waved and turned to head for his next class, still fairly vibrating with excitement as he finished off the last of his cube on the way.

Once the others were gone, Ratchet stuck his free hand in Wheeljack’s side and tugged a couple of ticklish wires, toying with them until the engineer was begging for mercy between bouts of laughter. 

“You’re never gonna let me live down that incident, are you?” he griped as he helped Wheeljack back to his pedes and led them toward the medical wing of the institute. “I could always make you sit in on one of those sessions, you know, no one will mind, and then you can be shocked and traumatized by watching your instructors detail the basic methods of interfacing, too.”

Unsurprisingly, Wheeljack called his bluff and then laughed at him, but in such a goodnatured way that Ratchet couldn’t find it in him to do more than glare at the green and white mech briefly before allowing him to entwine himself about the medic’s arm once more.


	3. The Second Gift

The bow had certainly seen use, Barricade thought, smiling thinly as he ran a single claw tip along the smooth finish of the weapon in question. It had collected a few scars but the young mech it now belonged to had spent joors smoothing each one out – like any true warrior, doing the work himself and not assigning it to his mechservant. Laserbeak made a low tweep and nuzzled his twin brother before Buzzsaw took over his hiding place. The Warlord would be very pleased indeed to know that his Intended paid such attention to his gift! 

Speaking of gifts… 

The black mech silently moved to Optronix’ desk and placed the flat box on top of the paper the young mech had just gotten back. Optronix had, of course, passed it with flying colors, and Megatron had given them the go for the next gift – a reward of sorts and as needed as the bow had been. Lord Scholar Ratbat had been both pleased and severely displeased by the first gift… the mech was not one of Barricade’s favorites. Casting a last glance at the door to the recharge chamber he snuck back out and melted into the shadows of the dorm garden.

* * *

Eleven orns since the first gift had appeared in his quarters, and today he onlined to find another one on his desk. It was much smaller, but still made with the rare and beautiful black wood with the fuzzy red cloth inside, with a high quality data pad lying on top of the plush material, all gleaming silver and black with red accents. At first it seemed that his admirer hadn’t left any notes this time, but when he activated the pad in his first class, Optronix smiled rather stupidly at the saved note file on it. It was another short, simple message, ‘ _I hope you enjoy this little gift. Good job on that last paper. Sincerely, your secret admirer_ ’. Regardless of the simplicity, he was quite excited to share it with his friends during their next break together.

“Where did you get that? It doesn’t look like something the Lord Scholar would give you.” 

Elita leaned on the Optronix’ shoulder and looked at the datapad in his hand. It was very pretty in a sort of dark and serious warrior way. 

Firestar smacked Elita’s aft and ducked the half playful blow aimed at her. 

“She does have a point though! Where and when did you get it? And from who must not forget that little detail now spill it, Ops’!”

“I bet it’s from his admirer don’t you think so, Ratchet?” Wheeljack yanked the medic over to look at the datapad before the poor mech got a chance to speak. “See it’s red and black, too, just like the bow – whoever it is must be a warrior!” 

Pointing out the obvious color scheme, he took it as confirmation of his personal theory. 

Ratchet squeaked in surprise when he suddenly found himself pressed against Wheeljack’s side, presumably to get a better look at the data pad. Primus, there was _no way_ Wheeljack was _that_ oblivious, was there? One of these orns he was going to jump the ignorant mech and show him _just_ what he thought of all the mechhandling… 

Remembering that he had been asked a question, he nodded and reluctantly – though he tried to make it seem like he was more exasperated than anything – extracted himself from the engineer-in-training’s grasp. 

“It does. Is that where it’s from, Optronix?”

“It is!” the red and blue mech replied excitedly. “No more clues, unfortunately, except that it’s gotta be someone close by because he knew how well I’d done on my Historical Events essay and congratulated me on it,” this made Optronix obscenely happy, because that meant that whoever it was appreciated his intellectual side and his warrior side. He was already attracted to the mech and he didn’t even know who it was yet!

“But where did you find it? Who delivered it to you…? I mean there has got to be a clue in that!” Elita more or less squealed right into Optonix’ audio receptor. She was almost as excited as the mech… it wasn’t every day there was such a romantic mystery to unravel. 

Firestar, meanwhile, had grown thoughtful.

“I don’t think it’s a Simfur mech… I mean they don’t put too much stock in intellectual things. Of course a Simfurian could easily figure out that this is a good gift for a student, but would rather have given you something to improve your warrior skill. This… this is from someone who really cares about both!” 

She wasn’t aware that she was echoing Optronix’ own thoughts, of course. She didn’t know enough about Kaon, or Iacon City for that matter, to tell if it could be one from them… Iaconinans often seemed a bit divided between those who went the warrior way and those taking a scholastic view on life. 

“So… not a Simfurian. That’s odd… Ops? Didn’t you say there was a couple of Kaonites here, like on ambassadorial grounds. Do you know what they are here for?” 

Wheeljack thought it would be much more romantic if Optronix’ was being courted by a mech from another city-state! And really all his friend would have to do was say no, if it proved that he didn’t like his suitor. That was the rules of the game after all. 

“We’re not taking in to account that even if the black wood _comes_ from Simfur and Kaon, that doesn’t mean other places can’t order it from them after it’s been cured.” 

Ratchet almost felt bad for being the voice of reason when the three romantics’ faces fell at his words, but he knew it should be mentioned. 

“Just because there’s a couple of Kaonites here in Iacon doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s a Kaonite who’s sending the gifts.”

Optronix hadn’t thought of that… 

“Ratchet’s right, it could be anyone… And no, I don’t really know what the Kaonites are doing here, just that they’re here on business from Kaon’s leader.” 

Optronix sighed and tilted the data pad this way and that, looking for any sort of clue that would tell him where it was from, only to, unsurprisingly, find nothing. “It _would_ make sense though for the mech to be a Kaonite, since they’re both intellectual and warrior combined unlike Iaconians who are usually one or the other, but it could just be someone very agreeable as well. Someone who wouldn’t mind that I had an interest in both...”

“You’re no fun, Ratch’!” despite her words Elita giggled uncontrollably as she finally settled on the ground. “But hey! If it is someone buying the wood from either city state he is even richer than we thought! The Lord Scholar should be pleased this time, should he not?” 

“He ought to be… and actually Ratchet there’s one problem with that theory. Simfur… the only way their valuables leave the city state is through thievery or gifts and well, they are not known for small things. No, whether it’s brought or given by someone, this stuff has to come out of Kaon!” it was a faintly scary notion, considering Kaon’s history. Firestar settled down by Elita’s side and slid an arm around her slim shoulders.

“Well… you might be right, Ratchet, but maybe those two came because someone wanted to buy black wood for just this purpose? Or maybe they are servants to whoever is courting you!” 

Wheeljack wasn’t about to let his theory slide – he liked it! 

“Seriously, would it not be romantic if your suitor was like a high ranking Kaonite? I wonder what they look like?” the engineer was clutching Ratchet’s arm and flickering his optics at him in affected courting behavior. He didn’t notice the uncomfortable look that flittered across the medic’s features.

“Knock it off, you look silly,” Ratchet mumbled, pushing Wheeljack away and ignoring the urge to pull him back in and kiss him or something equally mortifying. “It could have come from anyone though; they don’t necessarily _have_ to be a Kaonite, even if Kaon is the only place to sell it to other city-states. And I wouldn’t want _my_ suitor to be a Kaonite at all, to be honest. But then, I have no interest in fighting or fighters.”

“What _do_ they look like?” Optronix wondered. He had seen pictures of old ones in their history classes, but who knew how much they had changed since the old times! “Perceptor would probably know. Too bad he was busy today… The idea of having one courting me isn’t that bad of an idea to have, but they’re supposed to look really intimidating, if the historical files are to be believed. I’m probably tiny compared to a lot of them!”

“Ha! Ratch’, you would like to be the aggressor in any courting you were involved in anyways so of course you wouldn’t want a Kaonite,” Elita stopped laughing and glanced knowingly at the obliviously pouting engineer. 

Firestar winced at Ratchet’s handling of the ‘problem’ but didn’t needle him; Elita was doing a fine job of that. “They are large and… well most of them have claws I think, of course most of what I know is from history and stories and such. I think it is romantic, though they are a bit scary…” someone who made Optronix look small would make herself and Elita… yeah. “A mech that big… It would be quite an interesting lover to have, hum?”

“That big… Wow, imagine the spike!” Wheeljack was instantly diverted from pouting at the new subject. “I don’t think I would want that big of a spike… especially not for my first time. Gah! Even Optronix makes me want to shy away from ever interfacing,” putting a hand on his codpiece, as if to shield it from unwanted attention, he plopped down and leaned on Ratchet. “Nope! I would much rather have someone more my size… I wonder if I’ll ever be courted?” 

Sighing dreamily, Wheeljack stared off into a space only he could see for a second, and then shook himself. “Well! That didn’t help much on the clue side… think we should all try and find out about the Kaon ambassadors?”

“Hopeless romantic,” the medic-in-training teased, but he didn’t bother to push Wheeljack off again. The femmes were so over-sensitive when it came to his treatment of the smaller mech, so it really wasn’t worth it, and it didn’t hurt anyone for him to indulge in some contact with his long-time desire… 

“It’s probably more intimidating for us than it is Optronix, as he’s the largest of us by far. And how do you propose we find out about the ambassadors? It’s not like we even know where they’re staying or anything, and I doubt anyone else does.”

Optronix subspaced the data pad and crossed his arms on the table, leaning forward to rest his chin on them so he could observe his friends. 

“Lord Scholar Ratbat might,” he mentioned. “He’s part of the council so if anyone knows, it’s him. Though I don’t think I want him to know that we’re contemplating the possibility of a Kaonite being the one to send me these gifts. He might just blow a gasket if he thinks that someone is going to give me even more reason to refine my warrior abilities. You know how he is.”

“Hey! Maybe they are going to be at one of those balls the Lord Scholar forces you to attend… I wonder if Kaonites dance?” Elita smiled brightly at Optronix, “it would at least be something to hope for and you could tell us all about them!” 

Firestar shook her head and quirked her dermaplates. “I don’t think you should ask the Lord Scholar anything about this… don’t show him the box either. Just the data pad, it is expensive enough to please him all on its own,” it really was too bad that Perceptor had been so busy lately! Maybe he could come up with an idea…

“Yes, I like romance, stop being such a bolt about it!” Wheeljack stuck out his glossa at Ratchet who customarily ignored him. His spark cringed a little… It often seemed like he could do nothing right around the medical student. Ratchet always just brushed him off or said something like that comment about being a romantic. 

“I guess aside from hoping for a ball we could all set our news feeds to ping us if there is something about the ambassadors?” 

“I wonder what a Kaonite would _look_ like while dancing, especially if they’re as big and sharp-angled as the history files say,” Ratchet mused. The image he managed to conjure was... odd. They were warriors, and most fighting styles required some measure of grace, so dancing probably wasn’t that difficult for them, but all the pointy bits on his imaginary Kaonite made it look very intimidating. “But tracking the news feeds is a good idea. We’re bound to get a snapshot of one of them sooner rather than later, and at least then you’ll have some idea of what kind of mech you’re looking at.”

“Yeah, there’s probably no better way to get information on them than that. And I guess I’ll call Ratbat after classes tonight and tell him about the pad. Maybe I can nonchalantly sneak in a question about upcoming social events or something,” and with any luck, Lord Scholar Ratbat would be so pleased by his interest in the events he usually disliked attending that he would overlook the fact that Optronix was taking a sudden interest in them now, after someone had decided to court him in semi-secrecy. He would want to know all of the mechs that the blue and red noble thought might be his ‘secret admirer’, and Optronix _really_ didn’t want to discuss the possibilities with his overprotective guardian.

“Pha! It’s not like what you guys do is even real dancing, it’s just fluttering around groping each other…” Elita stopped short as she realized what she was saying. “Oh, Firestar, couldn’t we go out dancing?” 

“Elita!” Firestar giggled uncontrollably. It was true though that the dances preferred by Iacon’s elite were much different from those favored by Yuss elite, but still! 

“Most warriors are graceful but I imagine they would be rather scary in any situation what with claws and spikes… I wonder how much of it is just tales? Gah! We have to go to class… see you guys later!” dragging a protesting Elita up, they took off. 

“Just be careful not to annoy him too much, Ops’? I have to run too… see you two next period!” Wheeljack unthinkingly squeezed Ratchet’s thigh before getting up and running off. Kup was never pleased when his students were late and the engineer had no wish to be used as an ‘example’ to the rest of the class.


	4. First Letter

Barricade found it rather interesting to see the growing collection of items that sported the Warlord’s colors in Optronix’s room whenever he snuck in. Every single one was carefully kept in their black wooden box when not in use. It was rather adorable. All seven, between the bow and the set of arm blades he had with him now, were meant for scholastic uses… He kind of looked forward to the mech’s creation day though. The beautifully crafted game set, ‘Turbofoxes versus Cyberwolves’ had just arrived and Soundwave had spent hours making sure that all the tiny game pieces were intact. For now, though, he had the blades to deposit and a little spy to deliver for more permanent residence…

The blades in the customary black wood box were put beside the open box with the bow in it. The other, larger wooden box was put in the middle of the common room floor; it was also of black wood but this was thin strands of it and woven rather than carved and it had a shuttered opening on one side. 

“Now behave, little one? Protect Optronix and his little friends and be sure to collect images!” Chirring and tiny hushed squawks issued from the basket. “That’s a good little scavenger, I am sure Optronix will love you, see you in a few orns!”

* * *

It was nice to wake on orns when there were no classes… Optronix stretched languidly before rolling out of berth, headed for the wash room connected to his berth room, and took a nice long shower to work all the grime out of his frame. Once he was done, he dried off and headed into the main room, and smiled in delight when he noted not one, but TWO new boxes sitting by his already opened gifts. One was just like all the others, solid, polished and cured black organic material, sitting next to the box with his bow in it. The other was in the middle of the room and appeared to be woven with strands of the wood instead, almost like a carrying case for some form of pet. Deciding he would open that one first, the red and blue mech walked over and knelt down beside it, looking for the latches to open it. 

He found them on the side, but unlike the previous gifts, this one’s lid did not lift, but instead part of the wall the latch was attached to split down the middle and opened into two little doors, leaving behind an arched opening which Optronix surmised was to allow the creature now poking it’s head out to go in and out as it pleased. The young noble noted a couple of strings of red cloth on either side of that particular wall and similar pieces on the doors, and figured that they were supposed to be tied together to hold the flaps open and did so before turning his attention to the little mechanical creature looking up at him. It was oddly shaped, not a pet he thought was natural to Cybertron, but as it crawled the rest of the way out of its home, he was finally able to make a connection.

“A drone!” he murmured in awe, reaching one hand to gently touch the cute little creature and earning a soft chirr in response. A pet, companion, and ‘guard dog’ all in one, this particular drone was practically designed to be with its master always and keep him safe from harm. Some even had built-in communication jammer disordinance mechanisms so that even if their master was attacked while in a jammed zone, the drone would be able to call for help. It was designed after an organic creature, though obviously it was much larger than its organic counterpart, and given the model name ‘Scorponox’ for reference. 

Optronix held out both of his hands for the drone to crawl into and carefully brought the tan and brown creature to his chassis, shifting it so it was in the crook of his arm and used his free hand to pet it. 

He spent some time petting and playing with the drone before he remembered that he had been given two boxes and moved over to the other one, the newly named Scorponok (not all that original, but it worked and the drone seemed to like it well enough) perched on his shoulder as he opened the latches and lifted the lid. Another awed sound left him at the sight of the gleaming blades inside, and the noble carefully traced the contours of one. There were little scratches, signs of use just like on the bow, and Optronix flushed with happiness that his secret admirer would send him something like this – something that had been wielded and treasured before and entrusted to him to do the same now. 

The usual data pad was tucked into one corner of the case and Optronix picked it up and activated it. The message was short as always; a few congratulatory words on his recent accomplishments in his schooling, a comment on how proud he made his secret admirer through the hard work he put into everything he did, and the more recent addition of ‘Affectionately, your secret admirer’ instead of ‘sincerely’. 

Optronix went to put the newest pad on the shelf he had cleared specifically for the messages his admirer left him, then called Elita and asked her to call the others and let them know he had gotten more gifts from his admirer and that they could come over if they liked. The femme, no surprise, had been more than enthusiastic about the prospect of seeing whatever he had gotten this time and agreed, assuring him that she and Firestar would be over soon before disconnecting to go call the others.

Wheeljack were pretty happy that he lived in the same dorm as Ratchet since that meant he could pick up the grumpy medic trainee on his way out. Not that he dared talk to the white and red mech past a timid good morning, which earned him a growl that he chose to interpret as a ‘and good morning to you too, ‘Jack’. Thinking it anything else was just depressing! Soon enough they saw a happily bouncing Elita and a slightly less enthusiastic Firestar who kept looking over her shoulder. After that, it only took a quarter of a breem to reach Optronix’s door.

Firestar pressed the chime and ineffectually tried to get her giddy mate to relax. She would prefer Elita to remain alive and wasn’t sure how long it would take before Ratchet turned homicidal… The white and red mech simply wasn’t a morning mech! “Come _on_! Elita, we’ll know it in a few astroseconds okay? Can’t you just for once act as if you just got dragged out of bed?” 

“But half the fun is guessing! OH! Maybe he got one of those fancy wrist computers? Or… what about a blackscreen? One of those you can hook a cam up to… you know then he could tape the lessons and watch them over and over again as if he was in the class room! That would be sooo _awesome_!” 

Elita was simply a femme with a bouncy personality. She could no more help her programming then Ratchet could his, and she really saw no reason to! She was right, half the fun was guessing and the others just needed to go to berth earlier in the day… then it would not be so hard to get up and they would all be less grumpy. 

Optronix opened the door and greeted his friends, stepping back to allow them entrance. Scorponok had gone back into its box and Optronix wasn’t sure if it was to recharge or not so he left it to do what it wished as he led the others over to the still open box with the blades inside. 

“He actually sent me two gifts this time, but you’ll have to wait a bit see the other one,” he said as the femmes and Wheeljack crowded around the blades for a better look. Ratchet didn’t look quite as interested though, but it was hard to tell if it was because he didn’t care for weapons and battle or if it was just because he was half-recharging on his pedes.

He really shouldn’t have taken that overtime at the clinic last orn... Ratchet resisted the urge to just flop himself down on the floor and go back into recharge. He knew just as well as the others how bad his mood was when he was woken before he was ready, but he was currently running on about twenty breems of recharge and far past caring about his emotional state. But then, dreaming of finally getting up the courage to court Wheeljack and having the engineer-in-training return his feelings only to be abruptly awoken by the real Wheeljack who _didn’t_ think of him as anything but a friend didn’t help his mood at all. And if the other mech did like him romantically, _one_ of them was reading things wrong... 

“Why can’t we see the other one?” he asked, not caring that he sounded rather foreboding just then.

“Oh wow! Blades… you are starting training with blades next orn, right? The Lord Scholar is gonna be furious…” Wheeljack tried to ignore Ratchet’s tone but as always the note of hard controlled anger sent a shiver down his back struts. He couldn’t figure out why that happened… And now was so _not_ the time to try. “Too bad you can’t say ‘thank you’ somehow.”

“Yeah that would be totally romantic…” Firestar clamped a hand over her mouth and offlined her optics. She had just sounded exactly like Elita in the pink femme’s most obnoxious, upbeat, peppy mood. Gods, sometimes it was downright scary how her bondmate affected her!

Elita laughed shrilly at Firestar’s thoughts then turned bright optics on Optronix. “His Grumpiness does have a point though – why can’t we see the other gift? Is it too big for your room or something?”

Glancing at the box, Optronix said, “No, it’s rather small really and... oh! I guess it’s coming out again!” The red and blue mech knelt down and held out his hands. 

“Come here, Scorponok, come meet my friends,” he cooed, smiling as the drone immediately climbed onto his outstretched hands. He stood and cuddled it close to his chest, turning so his friends could see. “This is the other gift. Isn’t it cute?”

Suddenly much more awake, Ratchet stared at the little mechanism in Optronix’s arms. “A _drone_? He sent you a _drone_?” he demanded, leaning closer to look the little thing in its bright yellow optics. It _was_ rather cute, though the medical trainee didn’t plan on saying so. He had much more important thoughts running through his head right then!

The medic trainee was jostled out of his place almost as soon as he stopped speaking Wheeljack and both femmes almost pounced on him to see the small drone. 

“Oh, oh, OH! That is so adorable, Primus you are the luckiest mech ever, Optronix’! Do you know how hard it is to obtain any kind of drone? And this one is a work of art. He’s not even fully developed yet and he has fight capabilities… Oh, my… Aren’t you just the cutest little thing?” Wheeljack showed his usual lack of self-preservation, after having told them all that the drone was capable of fighting he stuck a finger right up to its tiny face and allowed it to nibble delicately on the tip. Not that it was hurting him but… 

“It is cute… so, so cute! You have got to find a way to thank him for this, Ops!” Firestar squealed right along the others. She had no experience with drones, not many femmes where large enough to carry them and besides Yussians were believers in self-reliance. Still the little thing was unbelievably cute! 

“Cute, cute, _cute_!” 

Chanting and waving her hands about Elita tried to keep from picking up the tiny thing. She was a bit better at the self preservation thing than Wheeljack was, though not by too much. 

Optronix freed a hand to pat Ratchet’s shoulder as the trainee moved away from their friends to stand by his side. Ratchet didn’t look all that miffed about being forced to move, which was good. Scorponok was enjoying the attention immensely, anyway, curiously crawling onto Wheeljack’s arm and lightly nibbling where it could get its diminutive jaws around a plate, though it never went for circuitry even when it was obvious that it could. “I wish I could think of a way to thank him, but how? I don’t have any way to contact him at all.”

Ratchet moved back to Wheeljack’s side involuntarily; as cute as the drone might be, it was still dangerous and he didn’t like the way it was attempting to gnaw off the edges of the smaller trainee’s plating. He couldn’t help but be protective. Even if he never asked to court the mech, Wheeljack was still important to him! 

“Still no clue as to who it is then? You would have said something when we first got here if that was the case, though, I guess…”

“It tickles! I wonder if it has any detectors in its mouth. It would be sensible to have it able to detect toxic substances… really I would love to see his schematics! Drones are such complicated little wonders, it’ll be fascinating to see what he ends up looking like.” Wheeljack didn’t mind that he had probably lost everyone after ‘tickles’; he had seriously considered taking classes in ‘miniature mechanics’ but had decided against it… 

That didn’t mean he didn’t find the art fascinating, just that he wasn’t an artist at all! He could live with that… Returning the favor, Wheeljack tickled the small delicate tail and gasped when the tip split and presented an impressive stabbing mechanism. “Oh, wow…” 

Firestar turned at Wheeljack awed tone and gasped. The cute little drone was suddenly a lot more of a serious threat! It didn’t make it less cute though with the chirring, armor chewing and even the tail as it was vigorously shaken and transformed back to its non-threatening form. “That… is all of it like that? I mean is it a weapon or a pet?” 

The smaller of the two femmes actually got entirely quiet and still. It was rare for Elita to acknowledge that all things weren’t bright and cheery all the time, but little Scorponok had just showed her that in an all too real way. 

Shaking herself, she relaxed and spoke in a quiet and subdued tone. “Whoever it is must really love you, Optronix… I mean he helps you with the scholastic disciplines, with your warrior training and now this? He obviously wishes to keep you safe without hampering your abilities!” 

Two seconds later, she crossly asked, “What?!” because everyone, including Firestar, was staring at her as if she had transformed into a mech or something. 

It had actual weapons built in at this early stage in its growth? Well, Optronix supposed that made sense because why else would one pay so much for it before it was fully developed? He blinked in surprise at Elita’s assessment, gaping at the femme before he realized that she was probably right. His admirer had to like him a whole lot to give him something like this… The thought sent a spark of heat through his frame and the noble shifted awkwardly. 

“Maybe you’re right. I don’t think whoever it is would go to all this trouble if they weren’t serious…” Optronix carefully herded Scorponok back into his arms, petting the chirring drone lovingly as it twisted and wiggled into a comfortable position with its belly pressed against his chassis.

Ratchet immediately examined Wheeljack’s arm for any signs of damage once Scorponok was safely back in its owner arms and gave an audible sigh of relief when none were found. Even after he was done, the medic-in-training didn’t relinquish his hold on the smaller mech. He reasoned that it was just easier to keep the mech from touching other dangerous things if he was holding him back, though part of him knew it was a weak excuse at best. It wasn’t Scorponok’s fault that it had weapons built in, so he couldn’t bring himself to be upset with the drone, but one scare like that sharp mechanism was plenty for one orn. “There has to be some way to contact whoever it is. Perhaps leave them a message?”

Wheeljack flickered his optics at the idea, Ratchet had a point and…” It’s been roughly ten to fifteen orns between each gift, right? It’s your Creation day in 12 orns, we can be pretty sure that he’ll leave you a gift there, can’t we…? So you could write a letter and leave it on your desk or somewhere really obvious and it would be found, would it not?” Looking expectantly around at his friends, Wheeljack snuck his arm under Ratchet’s. 

Mechs where so disgustingly dense at times! Firestar sighed and then smiled brightly. “That’s a good idea… You just have to make sure that the data pad is really visible and maybe you could… give him something after? I mean if he gets your letter and answers it?” 

“OH! How romantic! You could be pad pals.” Elita chose to ignore the groping-which-was-not-groping that the engineer and the medic trainee were ‘not’ doing. Instead she brightly pointed out the obvious. 

“That might work, but how will I know where to put it? The person bringing my gifts puts them in a different place every time, and he might just mistake it for another of my school pads if he DOES see it... I guess I could get some sort of ‘there is a note here’ sign or something pointing to the letter,” the red and blue mech mused, looking around his room for an ‘ideal’ place.

He was inordinately pleased when Wheeljack didn’t move away from him, even embraced him back, though the medic trainee tried not to show it even as he tightened his hold on the green and white mech ever so slightly. He’d take what little contact he could have while he could have it! 

“Move one of your little side tables in front of the door and put the pad on it. It’d be hard to miss that way,” Ratchet suggested, gesturing with his free hand to one of the aforementioned tables sitting by the couch in the far corner of the room.

“Mm… Ratch’s got a point there. Whoever it is doesn’t seem to have any troubles getting in and out of your rooms so just place a table where it doesn’t belong and I am sure the mech will notice it.” Absently rubbing his cheek plating against Ratchet’s shoulder, Wheeljack pouted a little. “I would suggest staying up to catch the mech, only I’m sure it wouldn’t be successful…”

“Yeah… I don’t even think, I mean whoever it is getting in here either has the help of the school or it’s a professional spy.” Firestar shrugged, she was fairly confident that panicking over that was useless. If someone had penetrated into the school to kill it would have happened that first recharge cycle. Optronix was safe enough… 

“What will you write?” Elita dismissed the rest of the conversation; she was far more interested in the letter! “I mean you have to write more than just ‘thank you for the attention’, right?”

“Write?” Of course he would have to write a tad more than that, but how was he supposed to know what to write? They had only just come up with this plan, it wasn’t like he had time to think of something past ‘thank you’! “I don’t know! What do you say to someone who spends fortunes on every gift he sends you?” Optronix asked, only slightly hysterical as it dawned on him that he had no idea how to proceed. Scorponok chirred and tapped one of its drill-like limbs against his chassis, as though to comfort him. He pet the drone absently, rumbling his engine to lull the creature back into its previous dozing state so that he could panic in peace.

“Ask him about himself, maybe? A couple of short, common questions to get an idea of who you’re talking to. And make sure your pet there isn’t going to attack us,” Ratchet said, giving the larger mech a pointed look as he stroked Wheeljack’s arm.

“Mm…” Wheeljack made an agreeing noise and then thumped Ratchet’s arm. “It won’t hurt us; it was simply curious and apparently ticklish.” Shaking his head at the suspicious medical trainee he debated pulling away… nah! He was pretty comfortable here. 

“Just don’t be too… circumspect. I mean this mech is pretty straightforward about what he means to do. Giving you these gifts and the messages… he means to win you before he even meets you! I think he would prefer that you outright ask him who he is and where he is from rather than trying to hide behind fancy words.” Firestar offered her opinion with a shrug.

“Yeah… If you ask outright he might at the very least tell you why he is doing this in secret, right? An explanation, no matter how vague, is better than nothing and you could risk disappointing him. He did point out that he liked your honesty with that history assignment? The one about the Praxian war…” Elita added her own insight to the others, wrinkling her optic ridges at the incredulous stares she earned. “Really! I am not _that_ much of a blank processor.” She stuck her glossa out at them all. 

“Got a point there,” Optronix conceded. “I still can’t figure out why he chose me of all mechs, maybe I’ll ask him about that, too...” Belatedly realizing what a bad host he was being, he shooed the other four toward the couches. “Let me get you guys some energon, then maybe you can help me figure out something not totally ridiculous to say in my letter?” 

Ratchet snorted and flicked the green and white mech’s helm lightly. “We don’t know what it was programmed to do aside from protecting Optronix, which is a given since it’s his. How are we supposed to know what it perceives as a threat if he doesn’t ask?” He dragged Wheeljack toward the nearest couch and sat down at Optronix’s prompting, pulling the other down next to him and trying not to get his hopes up as his treacherous CPU pointed out how compliant and cozy the smaller mech was being today.

“Yes, yes… by all means ask!” Wheeljack was slightly amused at Ratchet’s insistence but then again the medical trainee wasn’t into miniature mechanics or sparkling protoform repair yet. That was specialization and something he wouldn’t go into for at least half a vorn yet… “Mm… comfy.” Pulling his peds up in the couch he twisted to lean a little better on Ratchet. 

Firestar very nearly groaned at the two mechs… one of these days she was going to rudely inform them to kiss and get it over with! This whole cyberwolf after turbofox thing was getting a bit too much to look at. Wheeljack took a step forward and Ratchet took one back or vice versa. Not that the engineer trainee was trying to be aggressive, or was even really aware of his posing. As such, he simply… argh! 

“Fuel sounds good. And so does asking him about you, but try not to diss yourself; I don’t think he will be happy if you do that! He seems to know quite well what you can and can’t do and want you just the same for it.”

Pushing Firestar down in a chair, Elita plopped down on the larger femme’s lap, smirking a little because she had no trouble asserting her wishes with her bondmate. Silly mechs; they could just bond and have it over with! “Maybe you could tell him how you feel about being encouraged both in warrior training and scholastics? I’m sure he would love to know how happy he makes you!”

Optronix groaned as he passed out the energon cubes, still cradling Scorponok in one arm as he sat down with his own. “This is gonna be more like a novel than a letter! There’s just so much I want to know...” A million questions ran through his mind and the noble sighed, slouching in his chair. “How am I supposed to pick enough to show I’m interested without choosing so many that it overwhelms him?”

“I told you, just pick a few questions at a time. The most important ones, like who he is and where he’s from, or when will you get to meet him, or something to start with,” the medic trainee said, steadfastly ignoring the way his spark jumped in its casing in response to Wheeljack pressing so close. Maybe there _was_ something there... Ratchet doubted it, but it was so hard to think there was no chance for anything more between them when his friend got like this!

“Try to, you know, not frame it as a list of questions? Tell him about yourself… make it personal…” Picking absently at one of Ratchet’s leg seams Wheeljack had the stray thought that he perhaps should invite the medic trainee to the Well-dance… though perhaps he should take him to a detailer first. “Ratch’? You’re flaking…” 

“Considering that he is overwhelming you with gifts I can’t see that that would be too unfair?” Firestar patiently ‘suffered’ through her bondmate’s fussing. Apparently Elita had decided to emulate Wheeljack… The red and orange femme rather doubted that either of the two mechs would ‘get it’ unless someone actually hit them with something and then spelled it out in flaming mech tall letters. 

“You could always… ask him to the Well-dance? He probably can’t, you know, go with you but it’s tradition to ask one’s suitor to it, isn’t it? We don’t have it at home you know but if this mech already knows so much of you he would know right? And the gesture would be nice and all that!” Elita couldn’t find anything to pick at on her mate and dropped the act, instead flopping back to look upside down at Optronix. 

“I think Ratchet meant more like, just starting with the most important stuff? It’s not like I’m going to just write a bunch of questions and send it off.” The blue and red noble tilted his head thoughtfully at the idea of asking his suitor to the Well-dance. He hadn’t thought of that, but it was tradition... “It would be nice to have someone to take to the Well-dance, and I guess it doesn’t hurt to ask.”

“If you didn’t pick at my paint, you wouldn’t even notice,” Ratchet muttered defensively. “I just haven’t had time to get a proper repaint in a while.” Telling himself that it was only to keep the smaller mech from making his already dismal paint job look even worse, Ratchet tangled his fingers with Wheeljack’s and pulled their hands away from where they had been steadily wandering closer to areas he really did not need the engineer trainee touching. Not in public, anyway.

“Well… wanna come with me to the detailer this afternoon? I ah… um need to have my… back stripes yeah, back stripes done, they are a little fuzzy along the edges.” As far as he knew they weren’t the least bit fuzzy. But if he didn’t give an excuse it could seem like he was courting Ratchet, and much as he wished the medic trainee would do something he wasn’t about to try taking the lead. For one thing he would so suck at it! The Well-dance though, it was a chance to show interest without garnering the usual reactions of being the one to initiate things… if he could just gather the courage to invite the mech! It would help if Ratchet would make up his processor about the ‘signals’ he was sending… one moment he seemed to want intimacy and the next he put a fragging room between the two of them! Wheeljack had completely forgotten all about Optronix and the reason they were in the mech’s quarters.

This time Firestar actually face-palmed. Wheeljack couldn’t be any more transparent, could he? “Like Elita said… he probably can’t come, since he is doing this in secret I doubt he wants to come forward for a relatively obscure Iaconian university tradition… but at least it is a way for you to show your interest! If you are truly interested?” quirking an optic ridge she asked the one question no one had yet spoken out loud. “Or is it just the flattery…?” 

“Fire’!” Elita sat up and slapped her mate on the shoulder. One did not ask a thing like that like, well, _that_! It was rude and… and… 

“She didn’t mean to be rude… I think, Optronix. But she does have a point – do you really like him? As in, do you think you want to encourage something more personal than just gift giving… Because right now he doesn’t have any claim on anything.” 

“How am I supposed to know if I like him? I don’t know anything about him except that he’s obviously very rich and stuff. The Well-dance isn’t for a little while yet, I can get to know him first...” Optronix frowned. They didn’t think he would take advantage of someone like that and use them, did they? He turned to ask Ratchet and Wheeljack for their opinion, but paused when he realized that they were practically cuddling and having a conversation of their own. Perhaps he should have been upset that they seemed to have forgotten that there were other people in the room, but all the young noble could think was that they had better be getting together this time because they were ridiculously attracted to one another and their games were getting old.

“Are they? I hadn’t noticed,” Ratchet said, then hastily added, “Not that I’ve, you know, been looking or anything...” Almost slipped up there, maybe Wheeljack wouldn’t think too much into it... The medic trainee idly played with Wheeljack’s fingers while he contemplated going. He didn’t have anything else to do, but if he seemed too eager... What? They were friends, it wasn’t like they were going to a brush shop or anything, it was perfectly commonplace to go to the detailer’s with friends... “I guess I can go. I really do need it, and it’s not like I’ve got anything pressing to take care of today anyway.”

Well that was… confusing. Wheeljack sighed and decided to take it as positively as he could. Ratchet _was_ going after all. 

“So… after the noon meal? And you don’t bail on me like with that holofilm d… deal we had?” That had not been funny at all and it had been Ratchet who asked him that time! He had really thought that maybe… but no. Maybe he was reading the medic trainee all wrong…

Primus, he still remembered that? That had been forever ago! “I told you I was sorry about that, ‘Jack,” Ratchet said rather sullenly.

“No I didn’t mean it like that! Just… It’s like you said, right now this mech has no claim at all… but if you start investing emotions in him…” Firestar shrugged helplessly. “Yeah, get to know him. Then you can decide about the dance.” 

“They are completely oblivious!” Elita sounded and was rather disgusted. Their friends needed help – serious help – if they were ever going to get together. Compared to their not-love affair, Optronix had it easy…

Optronix blinked, looking at Elita in befuddlement before he realized that she was talking about Wheeljack and Ratchet, who had both jerked out of their personal little world looking quite startled. Nodding his head in agreement, he went back to talking to Firestar. 

Ratchet nearly leapt off the couch at Elita’s angry yelling. “Who’s what?” he asked once he was sure his spark hadn’t extinguished from the shock, although no one seem inclined to answer. He realized that he had no idea where the conversation had gone, and mentally blamed Wheeljack. If the mech wasn’t so slagging distracting, it wouldn’t have happened!

“Even if letters are only delivered when a gift is sent, that’s still... what, seven or eight letters each before Well-dance? Should be enough time to get some idea of him, enough to decide if I want to ask him to go. Right?”

Wheeljack didn’t appreciate being jolted around and sat up, shooting Elita a dirty look before answering Optronix’s question; he was much better at getting back on track than Ratchet was. 

“More like nine, unless he decides to have the full 15 orns between every gift. I’m sorry, Ops, I need to go find out if Perceptor has returned.” Really he had to get a little space between himself and Ratchet… There were a few things he needed to think over. 

Firestar sighed. “Do you need help writing a letter or should we all just make ourselves scarce?” It was, after all, a rather private thing and she had already stepped in the tar quite enough! 

Elita just groaned and decided to ignore the two before she said something unforgivable. “Yeah. Optronix? Honestly it’s probably better for you to write it yourself… we’ll just cloud the ‘real’ you, if you know what I mean?” 

“I...” The noble frowned, at a loss as he watched Wheeljack beat a hasty retreat. Optronix gave Elita a pointed look, not quite a glare but close; they had been _getting_ somewhere this time! “Yeah, I kinda need some time to myself to work out what I’m gonna write.” Glancing at Ratchet, he noted the somewhat hurt expression on the medic trainee’s faceplates and his frown deepened as he stood. “I guess I’ll see you guys tomorrow in class?”

Ratchet scowled and stood up, making his way to the door. There was no way he would be able to catch Wheeljack, but he could try, and he certainly wasn’t going to give the femmes a chance to catch up to him. Better yet, he could go get some more recharge... 

“Yeah, see you later,” he muttered vaguely, waving over his shoulder. As expected, Wheeljack was long gone, so Ratchet resigned himself to waiting until the time they would meet up later that orn to talk to him. In the meantime, he could try to work out all the mixed signals he had been getting since Wheeljack picked him up to come over to Optronix’s...

Getting up, Firestar gave Optronix a quick hug. 

“It’ll be fine, they will be fine… and you!” She turned around and gripped Elita’s elbow joint. “Next time let them in peace will you? They were actually cuddling – which is a major breakthrough since Ratchet was actually cuddling back this time…” 

Waving at Optronix Elita allowed herself to be dragged out, pouting just a little. It hadn’t been her meaning to break the two mechs up…. She just couldn’t stand to see them dance around like that!

\----

Optronix waved good-bye to his friends and cleaned up the empty cubes before moving over to his desk. Scorponok had woken some time after Elita’s little fit, and was now perched on his shoulder as he pulled one of his nicer data pads out of subspace and turned it on while he fished for a stylus. 

“I’ve got no idea what to write...” he mumbled, absently rubbing his cheek against Scorponok when the drone pressed against the side of his helmet. “I guess I’ll just wing it. I mean, I’ve still got at least ten orns until the next gift, right?” Needless to say, he spent the rest of the orn working on it until, finally, he was satisfied with the length and contents of his note. He paced the length of his main room as he read it aloud to Scorponok one last time to make sure it wasn’t all jumbled up.

_‘Dear Secret Admirer,_

_‘Thank you for the gifts, first of all – I really appreciate and love them all! I wish I could pick my favorite but I can’t, though I really like the bow you sent. And the drone, too; I named it Scorponok and it seems to like that a lot. And thanks for all the well-wishes and congratulations and stuff, it’s really great that you are interested in my studies and that you are proud of what I’ve accomplished. It makes me very happy when I get those little notes from you._

_‘I can’t think of a tactful way to ask, but who are you? Have we met? Just a name would do, or maybe a picture file, if that’s not too much to ask for in a first letter? I’m so curious to get to know you, but it’s only just occurred to me (my friends brought it up, actually) that I could try to write to you to learn more._

_‘I don’t know what all you know about me, so I guess I’ll start with some basics, for mutuality’s sake? I’m in my second vorn of advanced education, I like learning fighting techniques just as much as I like learning about Cybertron’s history, even though Lord Scholar Ratbat doesn’t really approve of the former (he’s my guardian), and I usually only drink blue, green and some shades of red energon. Most purple kinds don’t sit well with me._

_‘You probably knew all of that already, but I figured it was polite to tell you stuff before asking you to tell me more about yourself… I imagine you’re quite busy, so I won’t ask for a lot. What are your favorite pastimes? Do you have any pets? Oh, speaking of pets, my friend Ratchet asked (more like demanded, he’s kind of bossy when he’s not had enough recharge) that I ask you if Scorponok is safe for my friends to be around? Only, Scorponok crawled on Wheeljack’s arm the day I got him and gnawed on him a bit – nothing serious, just little playful nibbles on the edges of his plating that I’m pretty sure didn’t hurt at all – and Ratchet’s been in love with ‘Jack for vorns and vorns even though he still hasn’t said anything, and he doesn’t want Wheeljack to be around Scorponok if it’s dangerous, so I want to make sure it’s okay._

_‘I hope you can write back soon!_

_‘Sincerely, Optronix’_

Once he was finished, he looked at Scorponok. “What do you think? It’s not too geeky, right?” he asked, earning a pat on the face and a quiet chirr that he took to mean the letter was okay. Just to be on the safe side, he moved one of the tables in front of his door and placed the pad on it like his friends had suggested, not wanting to somehow miss the night the gift bringer showed up. Once that was done, he set Scorponok by his box and bid him a good recharge before heading to his own berth. 

Orns passed and nothing seemed out of the ordinary (including Ratchet and Wheeljack’s relationship, unfortunately) and on the twelfth orn, his creation date, the pad was finally gone, replaced by a truly magnificent ‘Turbofoxes versus Cyberwolves’ game set that he could hardly wait to tell his friends about at noon break, but he didn’t even get the chance before Wheeljack was waving a data pad in front of his optics and talking a megamile per astrosecond.


	5. Second Letter

Wheeljack could barely contain his glee. Finally, _finally_! 

“Optronix look at this, just look! It was on the holo this morning… One of the Kaonites left in a hurry in the middle of the dark cycle and no one knows why! So this morning the other ambassador consented to an interview to calm people down… He talks really funny!” The data pad was waved around, making it impossible for anyone to see it at all, and the wrapped up package in the engineer trainee’s other hand was quite a hazard to the mechs passing by him.

“Maybe if you sat down we could actually, you know, see what you’re talking about?” Elita giggled as a red mech snatched his yellow friend’s arm and dragged him off before he could attack the overly excited Wheeljack. She had rather given up on the idea that Optronix’s suitor was from another city-state, with the frequency of the gifts and the fact that the mech seemed to know everything about the truckformer, but… well.

“Wheeljack. Chair – _now_!” 

Firestar rose, ducked a swing from the package hand, pushed the engineer trainee into a seat by Ratchet and snatched the data pad from him. She passed it to Optronix without looking at it, figuring he should get to know whatever was on it first. 

Optronix took the data pad and looked at the still frame, ignoring his friends as they bickered amongst themselves. 

‘Wow, do all Kaonites look like that?’ he found himself thinking as he skimmed the contents of the news report before handing the pad back to Firestar so she and her mate could look at it. It was a little surprising to admit, but Optronix actually found the intimidating, sharp-edged features to be rather attractive. They weren’t so different in base design, that was a given, but the Kaonite outer armor styles were quite appealing. They looked so… strong, so capable. Like they could take anything thrown their way! Well, he couldn’t say that he would be too objectionable to having a mate like that, even if he thought himself well capable of staying safe without assistance.

“… Anyway, it could just be a coincidence that the other ambassador left in such a hurry; he could have been called back. I mean, they’re not going to just say, ‘Oh, yeah, we have to take this letter back to whoever because they’re courting one of your mechs,’ or something, but still. If whoever it is looks like that…”

Ratchet barely spared the data pad a glance from over Elita’s shoulder, not finding much interest in the picture of one of the ambassadors signing some paperwork to go back over the border. They were far too pointy for his tastes; he preferred more… streamlined mechs. Glancing at one such ‘streamlined’ mech, the red and white mech stifled a sigh and returned to drinking his energon. 

“Only you would be up early enough to catch the start of the orn’s news, ‘Jack,” he said, sounding amused and fond at the same time as he toyed with the gift he’d gotten for Optronix. “And don’t get your wires in a twist about it, Optronix. We’ll know pretty soon if the mech is from Kaon. If they are, that’ll narrow down our choices by quite a bit, so even if they don’t tell you who they are directly, maybe they’ll let you guess.”

“Actually, I was up early to be sure I had time to wrap this before coming here…” Wheeljack stuck his glossa out at Ratchet and dumped the package on the table. “I hope it’s to your liking, Optronix, Happy Creation!” Ratchet could be so silly at times… 

“We gave him a box of oil truffles and a flask of premium Firestrike,” Elita brightly informed Wheeljack while the red and blue noble reached for the offered present. “He was just about to tell us what his admirer got him! So what did you get him?” As usual, she said what had been going on and then leapt at the next subject with typical Elita brand morning enthusiasm. She couldn’t help but grimace at the picture in her lover’s hands though. “This looks… hurtful to interface…” 

“Maybe we could actually be told what the gift from the admirer first and then see what Wheeljack and Ratchet brought, hum?” Firestar frowned at her mate and sat down again, then finally glanced at the data pad in her hand. “Dear Prima! They are very… big and yeah, they look dangerous?” 

“I don’t think it’s nearly as bad as it looks, really,” Optronix said, foregoing opening the present so that he could tell them about the gift he had been given first. “He sent me a ‘Turbofoxes versus Cyberwolves’ game set! It’s a really nice one; all the pieces are in perfect condition and everything despite obviously having seen a fair bit of use.”

“Do you think he knew it was one of your favorite games?” Ratchet asked, fiddling with his gift some more before handing it over. “Seems he’s really been doing his research.”

“Whoever and whatever he is, his attention to detail alone speaks of interest… The gifts are fantastic but, really, they could have been in a more modest class and the effect would have been the same.” Wheeljack shook his head and took the data pad from Firestar. “They are very much warriors but look at the way – that was ambassador Soundwave, by the way – the mech handled that far too small stylus! They are capable of gentleness and isn’t that the most important thing in a lover?” 

“Good point… unless you really enjoy rrrroughness!” Elita broke down in a giggle fit and nearly fell out of her chair before catching herself and looking at Optronix hopefully. “Oh! Can we play soon?” She really did enjoy a good game, and Optronix was a really good strategist… Firestar didn’t provide nearly enough resistance when they played. 

“Cute…” Firestar felt the need to hide; sometimes Elita was just so… empty-processored and painful to listen to. She loved her bondmate but this act was disconcerting at times. Sighing a little, she sent a pulse of love-care-exasperation through their bond and was rewarded when the pink femme picked herself up a little and calmed down. 

“I am beginning to think that this suitor of yours knows everything!”

“That’s true, but showing one’s wealth is generally a good way to catch an object of desire’s interest, which is probably what he’s doing,” Optronix said, then nodded at Elita as he took Ratchet’s gift. “We can play whenever you want; I’m always up for a game. And I hope he doesn’t know everything, because what will I talk about if he does?”

“I wouldn’t say gentleness is the most important thing, but it’s pretty close,” the medic trainee mumbled, mostly to himself, as he watched Optronix open the gifts he’d just been given. 

Wheeljack’s gift looked to be some sort of energon cube maker, but on a very small scale, which was elaborated on by Wheeljack himself as he informed Optronix that it was so Scorponok could refuel easier. How thoughtful. His own gift was a new kit of maintenance supplies for the weapons the red and blue mech’s suitor had sent him, and Ratchet smiled kindly as they were all thanked. 

“You’re welcome. I figured you had to be running low, since you never bothered to keep much around to begin with since Lord Scholar didn’t let you have weapons of your own to practice with.”

“It’s nothing, Ops! I enjoyed making it,” Wheeljack said right after, grinning at his friend.

Perceptor knew he was running late, but if asked, he would blame it all on persistent mechs who just didn’t understand that he wasn’t interested in _any_ of his students. It had been a while since he had last gotten a chance to see his friends, and he would never forgive himself for missing one of their creation dates! Nearly toppling over a few mechs on his way through the dining hall, the instructor finally managed to collapse into a chair between Optronix and Firestar, dropping a small box into the surprised mech’s hands. 

“Happy Creation Orn, what have I missed?” The question was addressed to all of them. He didn’t care who filled him in as long as he _got_ filled in!

“Thanks, Perce,” Optronix said after he opened the other mech’s gift to him. While Elita filled the instructor in on everything, he shifted through it and smiled at the selection of little toys inside, presumably for Scorponok. Maybe they would stop the drone from gnawing on his styluses, but Optronix didn’t put much hope in that.

“You have missed a _lot_! Optronix left a letter for his admirer and it got taken last night. Also he got a whole game set of ‘Turbofoxes versus Cyberwolves’! We gave him oil truffles and premium firestrike, ‘Jack invented a miniature cube maker for Scorpy, and Ratchet gave him maintenance stuff for the weapons.” Elita stopped for a second to figure out what she had forgotten. “ _Oh_! And ‘Jack finally got a picture of one of the Kaonites, only it wasn’t a picture but a news holo… they are big, spiky and scary!” She finally stopped speaking smiling serenely at the group of staring mechs. Firestar had hidden her faceplates in her hands again. 

“Try speaking a little slower next time, lover?” Firestar’s voice was muffled by her hands but still clear. Seriously, that was the best impersonation of Trainee Commander Blurr the red and orange femme had ever heard! And Elita had just been elated at seeing Perceptor again… Neither femme had a class under him so they only saw him when he had time to meet with them or for a lecture hall presentation, so it wasn’t too surprising, even if the enthusiasm made the larger femme cringe sometimes. 

“This narrows down the search for mechs who can afford all the stuff Optronix’s admirer has been sending him quite a bit. Provided that it is a Kaonite.” Ratchet scooted his chair closer to Wheeljack’s and took the pad from his lax grip to read the report. “It’ll be nice to know who it is though, presents are all well and good but that’s not going to help Optronix decide if he really wants this mech as his bonded.”

“It certainly sounds like a lot has happened,” Perceptor chuckled. “And you could have just asked me to show you what the Kaonites looked like. I _have_ met some, you know.” Watching Ratchet scoot closer to Wheeljack curiously, the red and blue mech opened a private channel with Firestar and asked, -Did they get together while I was too busy to be here?- discreetly tilting his head in the two oblivious mechs’ direction.

“Well, we would have if you had been here!” Wheeljack was relived, sort of, and stuck out his glossa at the scientist. 

“But we haven’t seen Percy’ in ages!” Elita pouted cutely and earned a kiss from her exasperated bondmate. 

-No, I wish though! They act as if they can’t understand each other at all… It’s horrible to watch.- Firestar couldn’t help that some of her annoyance slipped through in her word choice. Those two were slagging horrible! “As long as it’s just presents and a few letters ‘the mech’ will have no claim on you, Optronix. Just be careful about what you write… there are laws about courtships and written words are binding!” 

“I know; I’ll be careful. We’ll see how it turns out.” Optronix subspaced his gifts and tried not to fidget too much, but he was just so excited! Hopefully he would get a letter back from his admirer soon, and he could hardly wait!

“I’m sure Optronix will be careful what he writes. Just because the mech is rich doesn’t mean he’s perfect, or even compatible, and we all know that Lord Scholar at least raised him to be a good judge of character, and when to say no,” Ratchet assured the others, understanding their worry easily. He didn’t want his friend to be trapped any more than the rest of them did!

-Shame. I’ve been hoping. I’m sure I could find a suitable cleaning supplies closet to stuff them in until they work things out though.- Not that he would, not unless they were still like this by the time they graduated... Perceptor nodded at Ratchet’s observation, disregarding his comm. conversation. It was just going to depress him, especially since he _knew_ how much the two wanted each other! “Yes, that’s true…”

“You seem to be busy all the time lately, Percy,” Wheeljack chided gently, taking stock of his friend’s slumped posture. “Are you okay…?” He was really worried about the scientist, and he knew it showed. Perceptor had been taking a lot on his back struts and it seemed to be exhausting him… Or maybe he was just harried. He was late, after all. Actually, did the mech seem a little jumpy?

Waving a hand dismissively, Perceptor smiled. “I’m quite fine, just a couple of my students being persistent. One of the side effects of being such a young instructor, some will think that the way to get a passing grade in my class is through my interface drive.”

“It’s not really illegal to ‘face your students, it’s just not good manners and you look too cute for your own good! You should go find a mate, if you’re bonded they wouldn’t dare be so… blatant.” He was mostly teasing, though he did wonder why the scientist seemed to have no interest in the mechs, the not-student mechs, that showed interest. What was the microscope waiting for? Someone like Ratchet… Wheeljack knew he had dismissed a few mechs because he was waiting, hoping that the medic trainee would show a little interest in him.

“Ohh! Yeah, why don’t you have a suitor – or more than one? You should be mired in them, what with being the youngest graduate ever and already having four research degrees.” It was a little strange that Perceptor didn’t have a bondmate yet, Elita thought. Maybe he was waiting for ‘the one’? Oh well, they could poke him about it once they got Wheeljack and Ratchet to ‘kiss and make up’.

Perceptor shrugged and fidgeted a little in his seat, feeling awkward. “I’m just... not interested, I guess you could say. Not to say that some of the mechs who have shown interest are not worthy of a chance, I just haven’t ever wanted a relationship with any of them to go past friendship.” They just weren’t interesting! He couldn’t be blamed for that… “But we’re not worrying about me right now; we’ve got Optronix to focus on. I’ll find someone eventually, maybe even be swept of my pedes like the rest of you seem to want to be.”

“You mean you haven’t found someone who knows how to get you hot yet. Oh well, the opposite isn’t too fun either! Having found one that makes you hot I mean and not getting him.” Wheeljack picked at some ‘not-there’ paint flakes and studiously avoided looking at anyone. “True… but there isn’t much we can do about Optronix’ admirer other than wait for the return letter?” 

Ratchet frowned but tried to act like he wasn’t. He didn’t want Wheeljack to think Perceptor was cute! He also didn’t want to think it but… was Wheeljack speaking from experience? Did that mean he wasn’t interested in Ratchet after all? Surely he would have said something if he was... Ratchet acted unaffected on the outside, but inside he was seething and depressed and a whole slew of other things. Had he already missed his chance?

Unaware of Ratchet’s inner turmoil, Elita continued the conversation seamlessly with, “We could all go out and eat tonight? At Old Makadam’s… just have fun, I mean it is his creation day. It doesn’t help if we just sit and talk in circles.” She offered the idea and her opinion carefully. She did want to know about Optronix’s suitor but… they should also take some time to just be friends. It had been a while since they were all together!

“I like that idea! What about the rest of you?” Firestar hugged Elita and smiled at Perceptor. -The closet is a good idea; let’s keep it as a plan B? Right now I think plan A could still work… just throw them together in as many romantic settings as is possible! It’s bound to work sometime right?- 

Optronix perked up at the idea, nodding eagerly. “Yeah, definitely! It’s been a while since we could, so I’m all for it!” It would certainly take his mind off of obsessively waiting for a reply, and it was always fun to go out with his friends, even better when all six of them could go together!

“I’ll be there after my shift at the student clinic. What time?” Either way, he wasn’t going to ruin Optronix’s creation day with it, so he would go and have fun and save the pity party for after he had returned to his own rooms.

-We can hope. Primus knows how long we’ve been waiting, he’s got to give us a break sometime.- Perceptor consulted with his schedule for a moment before nodding. “I’ll make sure I’m free after classes. Maybe I’ll even have a list of mechs from Kaon for you to look at, Optronix.”

“It’s a date!” Wheeljack took the opportunity to give Ratchet an enthusiastic half-hug. They were all used to his mercury mood shifts, none of them seemed to realize that it was to hide his real feelings. Dang it! Why didn’t the medic trainee react to anything? Bait, teasing, posing… there was always just this trace of interest that kept him hoping. Never more than a trace though. “In forty-eight breems? By then we should all be plenty hungry right?” Tapping Ratchet’s upper chest plate he let his fingers linger just a click too long for it to be ‘just’ teasing.

“ _Yay_!” Elita trust her closed fist in the air and laughed gleefully. That was perfect – a nice evening with good energon and better company. They all needed the distraction; that was for sure!

-Honestly I think Primus is as annoyed as the rest of us.- Firestar grinned at Perceptor and sighed happily. Some down time sounded heavenly! Nothing to worry over, no mysteries to solve, and Optronix could without a doubt deal with a little distraction, too. 

“That works. I’ll have to make a quick stop at my room to feed Scorponok first, and then I’ll join you guys.” Optronix watched Wheeljack all but hang himself off of Ratchet’s shoulder and wondered how Ratchet could _not_ see that for the invitation that it was. He couldn’t tell which of them had it worse, but it still bugged him that they were so oblivious.

Ratchet had to lock all of his joints to keep from shuddering as Wheeljack’s fingers danced across his chassis, and barely kept himself from glaring at the engineer trainee. He was sending rapid fire mixed signals again, and one of these days Ratchet was just going to jump him, proper courting rituals and the possibility of ruining their friendship be damned. 

“S-sounds good to me,” the medic trainee said, mentally cursing the waver in his voice. He extracted himself from the smaller mech’s hold and stood. “I better get going though, don’t want to be late. See you guys tonight!” He left then, barely waiting until he was in the privacy of the clinic storage room before leaning against a wall and taking a breem to calm his frantic spark. It was going to be a long get-together, he could already tell.

Perceptor refrained from shaking his head in exasperation at Ratchet’s quick leave. -One wonders if they really are that dense. The Gods should really get to work on fixing their malfunction.- He stood as well, smiling apologetically. “I better get going, classes don’t prepare themselves for students who like to try and make nonflammable things flammable. With any luck, I’ll be on time for our engagement, but start without me if I’m not, I won’t be long.” Patting Optronix’s shoulder and waving to the others, he excused himself from the table and left.

And off he went again, Wheeljack tried hard not to let it the hurt show. It was a good thing no one seemed to notice his attraction to Ratchet, too bad it was true for the medic trainee also. Well one day perhaps… “I’ll see you all at beginning dark!” 

“We had better scoot too.” Elita sighed and jumped up to give Optronix a hug. “Good Creation day, Optronix see you later!” 

Firestar also hugged Optronix and then dragged Elita off before she could be delayed by something or other. The pink femme was prone to distractions.

Optronix waved his friends good-bye and went to his own class after stuffing all of his gifts into subspace. 

The rest of the orn flashed by and after he fed Scorponok, the red and blue mech rushed to meet his friends, very much looking forward to the get together. Their night out was a fun affair, the only slightly bad part being that Ratchet had spent the entire night glaring everyone that even thought about thinking about Wheeljack into submission and acting like he wasn’t whenever Wheeljack asked him what was wrong. He started another letter that night, just saying how much he liked his new gift and how his birthday had been, and set it in his desk for later. He continued to make little notes on the pad every night before recharge while he patiently waited for a reply to his letter.

* * *

Megatron wasn’t unhappy with his two ‘ambassadors’– far from it. They had given him more knowledge about the Iaconians, and in particular one Iaconian, then he had had any right to hope for. Still, a faint tint of displeasure did color his tone as he watched Barricade with narrowed red optics.

“Spymaster? Now, why did you feel the need to scare the Iaconian council by departing in such a hurry?” Oh, it had been funny to have the political top of Iacon scramble to assure him that the negotiations were running smoothly, but still… it was an unnecessary risk.

“It concerns your Intended, my lord, he…” Barricade was more than a little satisfied as he delivered the data pad to his warlord’s hands personally. It had been a bold move on Optronix’s part and that made it even more satisfying! His presence here meant that the little Iaconian had courage and processor enough to ask questions… maybe this pairing wasn’t so bad after all.

“I found it deliberately laid out for me to find, if I may say so… the young one has courage and sense.” The warlord did seem intrigued as he turned on the pad and gestured for Barricade to leave him, and that was encouraging. The spymaster didn’t question the unspoken order, merely bowed and hurried to give the larger Kaonite his privacy.

* * *

The data pad was comparably small in Megatron’s hand, a curious feeling… his future mate was not a very big mech compared to most Kaonites. It would be very interesting when he could finally court him in person. 

Megatron had no intention of forcing a bond on Optronix, it would be bad enough for the mech to suddenly be moved to Kaon as part of the payment for a trade negotiation. To force a bond on him at the same time would not make him a happy bondmate and Megatron did want a partner… so far Optronix seemed able to provide him with that! Stroking the spinal struts of the large drone that nestled in his lap, a 'Scorponox' model like the one he had sent to Optronix, he set to reading.

* * *

The guards outside of the throne room were treated to the rare sound of their warlord laughing with genuine mirth in his voice within a breem of Barricade’s supposed departure. Both relaxed and studiously ignored the shadow that detached itself from a nearby pillar, sauntering away to have a well earned rest.

* * *

He could have chosen not to answer the letter, but that would have defeated the purpose of this charade, Megatron felt. There were traditions that needed to be observed, of course, and precautions to take, now and when they finally met. Megatron knew very well the limitations he worked under but he was a ruler, limitations were there to be worked around or removed with force. 

Right now, though, he had a letter to answer and an ambassador to send back to his post, a spy to place where he could do the most good…

‘Dear Optronix,

“The gifts are all for your enjoyment; I am very pleased that you also find them useful. You have made me proud with your progress both scholastically and in your weapons training. I find that what pleases me the most is the care you take with what I have given and entrusted to you… I greatly look forward to one day seeing your skill at ‘shadow dancing’, because I am sure that your care and attention to detail will make it a true sight to behold.

‘Sadly, I cannot answer your questions as fully as you would wish. It will all become clear in time, lovely one. I am a mech of importance and knowing who I am could endanger you. I dare not even send you a picture. We have never met in person, but I have seen you and that was all that was needed!

‘Your choice of friends intrigue me, I must admit. I can do nothing but admire that you make your own choices, rather than simply take the easy route and ‘befriend’ those sycophants that try to win your affections. Still, I would like to know how you met those you spend your days with? If you are willing to share such information with a stranger, that is.

‘It is true that I know more of you then you of me, but I fear it will have to stay that way for a time. Though there are some things I can tell you, like the fact that I, too, prefer the blue and green shades of energon, at least for my normal meals. When it comes to high grade I much prefer Kaon Icefire – it is a red shade and I highly doubt that you will find it outside of Kaon. I would not recommend that you try it without someone beside you it is almost as strong as Vosiean brews! I would send you a flask but I doubt that your ward would be very happy with me if I did.

‘I am a highly accomplished blades fighter, my preferred weapons being a pair of twin forged swords. They were given to me by my Creator and Carrier, both of whom I sadly lost at a young age, not much older then you are now. Other than that, I enjoy playing ‘Turbofoxes versus Cyberwolfs’ as well as ‘dimensional war’, in what little free time I have for such pleasurable pursuits.

‘As for pets… the drone you have named Scorponok? I have a similar one though it is much older and larger than your little one. They are both quite safe for those who have no ill intentions towards their owners. They possess low level technopathic abilities and can ‘read’ intentions. Your friends will be safe with Scorponok provided they remain friendly. As for the armor nibbling… It is simply a way for it to understand its surroundings and it will likely end up doing it to everyone you allow near it.

‘I sympathize with you friend, Ratchet, by the way. It is hard to keep love hidden but sometimes it is harder still to give it voice. If he will take advice from a nameless mech, tell him this: what is never spoken can never happen.

‘Til I hear from you again,

‘Affectionately, your secret admirer’

* * *

Megatron reread the letter and nodded at it, satisfied. He called Barricade back later in the evening, after he had gotten the next gift prepared for his Intended, and gave the black mech the precious data pad, keeping his emotions well hidden again. So much was riding on such a fallible connection; it did not sit well with the Warlord. 

“Make sure that this is given to him, Spymaster Barricade! Now, this is the next gift… I think this will suit him better than sword fighting.” Hefting the, to him, small axe in one hand, Megatron smiled. Perfect balance and perfect forging! He had even had it painted to match his intended’s coloring rather than his own… it would, however, be delivered in the customary black wood box.

His spy bowed to him, and Megatron regarded him thoughtfully. The mech was relatively young but that did not make him any less perfect for the job he had vied with so many others to get. It was time to get Soundwave’s opinion of him! An evaluation , yes. And a little bait would be needed…

“When this is over, regardless of the outcome, I will give you anything you ask for, Spymaster… be sure to choose wisely!”

Barricade bowed low, keeping calm on the outside. The inside was another matter entirely; there were very few Kaonites who had earned those words from the Warlord! “It will all be as you wish it, my Lord.”

With that parting line, the Kaonite left, hurrying back to Iacon to do as Megatron ordered.

* * *

Barricade picked up the chirring drone that rushed to greet him and scratched it under its open mandibles after making sure the door was securely closed behind him. The once-tiny thing had changed and was growing larger by the orn, it seemed, though it wouldn’t be a match in size to Megatron’s Scavenger. The drone nipped his claw tip, as if sensing his attentions flagging, and Barricade chuckled. 

“Rascal!” he chided fondly, petting the scraplet’s flat helm before reaching for his download/upload line. “Let’s see what you have for me.” 

While tickling the little thing, he uploaded its store of images and then gave it a rust disk to chew on. He wasn’t sure where to leave the axe and the letter… The box was too large for any of the small tables and the rather crowded desk. The floor was an option but just not right for something like this! One’s first weapon was… Barricade shook his head. The Lord Scholar was wrong in trying to hold back Optronix’s warrior side! The young mech would be much better off when he got to Kaon. He had potential that Megatron would make sure was trained to its fullest! 

Finally the spy decided the couch was the only fitting place. Maybe he should recommend that the Warlord send Optronix a suitable weapons stand for next gift? It would not hurt to try. It might also be a good idea to find out how the relationship between guardian and ward were now that someone else was encouraging Optronix’s warrior training. Someone rich and powerful… but nameless.


	6. Letters

Optronix squealed when he saw the new black box sitting on his couch and all but dove for it – or, more specifically, the data pad on top of it. He wanted so very badly to read the letter, provided there actually _was_ a letter, but he should probably open the gift first… Scorponok decided it for him, as the little drone when straight for the latches and tried to use its claws to undo them. 

“Stop it, you!” he chided, laughing when the drone chirruped and started to gnaw on the fastening in response to his playful nudging. Scorponok, it seemed, was just as happy keeping his gift from him as he was making sure that Optronix’s attention stayed on the item in question!

The noble spent a good breem making gleeful little noises over the axe inside once he had managed to bat his drone away long enough to get the case open, but only held it for a moment to check its balance and grip before putting it back and scooping up the pad again. He moved to the other couch with Scorponok clinging to his chest and lay down to read the device’s contents with anticipation the likes of which he had rarely felt before. 

He pouted at the lack of information in the letter when he was done – he had been so hoping! But at least his suitor gave a reasonable explanation and was concerned for his wellbeing; that was nice to know, even if it did mean he wouldn’t get the answers he wanted just yet. Optronix got up to retrieve the data pad he had been writing notes in (though he didn’t really have many he felt were important enough to share, at least not until he had a better idea of how much energy a busy and important mech like his suitor could spend reading his babbling) and settled in to write a reply in a new file on his suitor’s data pad.

‘Dear Secret Admirer,

‘Not even a little clue or a nickname? It’s weird calling you ‘secret admirer’ all the time. Oh, and you’re a Kaonite, right? I’m probably tiny compared to you… Are you really pointy like Ambassador Soundwave and Ambassador Barricade? I wish I could see you now – you telling me I can’t just makes me a want it all the more!

‘It’s good to know that we have things in common, either way. I’ve always loved ‘Turbofoxes versus Cyberwolves’ so I hope we can play sometime, if this friendship ever gets to a point where we can meet. Speaking of which, thank you for the set you sent me, as well as the axe – Elita says thank you for the game set, too. We’ve played quite a few times since I got it and she beats me every time. I think she cheats. 

‘It’s good to know that Scorponok is safe for the others though. I’d hate to have to keep him in a separate room whenever my friends come over. How big can they get? Does yours have a name? Or do you just, like, call it Pet or something?

‘Anyway, um, questions… Oh, right! You wanted to know how I met my friends… Well, that’s not anything particularly private, despite being personal, so I don’t mind sharing. 

‘I’ve known Perceptor since my early youngling vorns. He studied under High Scholar Ratbat for a long time and even spent a while living at our estate. When he wasn’t studying, he would help me with my work because even though he’s only a vorn or two older than me, he’s extremely smart. We became fast friends through the mutual dislike of Ratbat’s strict study schedule. You probably already know, but he’s the youngest instructor Iacon’s ever had, and he’s a student, too! He is working on his fifth research degree while maintaining a fulltime class schedule, which is pretty impressive, if you ask me. 

‘He’s really great to talk to, but if you don’t stop him, he’ll slip into using _really_ big technical and/or obscure words in his speech, which can be difficult to understand. We’re always teasing him that he’s gonna end up with a foreign mech who’s got a kink for little microscopes who are too smart for their own good, but he’s not even looking for a mate right now, which is too bad.

‘I met Firestar and Elita (they’re bonded femmes and so adorable) a few vorns ago. They transferred here to get away from their family units in Yuss for a while because said family units didn’t really approve of them just jumping into bonding at such a young age; they literally ran into me while searching for their class on their first day at the academy. They were even smaller than they are now when I first met them so I could easily carry one on each shoulder, which I did frequently so they could see over the crowds. 

‘I… am not entirely sure how I met Wheeljack. We might have had a class together. All I can really remember is one of the science labs blowing up and then next thing I know I’m being dragged out of the building by this little white and green mech who’s, swear to Primus, cackling over the size of the explosion! ‘Jack doesn’t mean to make things blow up, he says, it just happens and no one can really blame him for being fascinated by it. If something goes off and he can’t figure out what it was, he will devote himself to it for orns on end until he can successfully recreate it. He’s a genius at anything that requires engineering, and really fun to hang out with.

‘Ratchet… I remember I met him one time when he was helping at the clinic; both his Creator and Carrier are well-known medical experts so he learned a lot from a young age. Anyway, I met him while he was patching up Wheeljack, cursing all the while. He’s only cranky when we get hurt because he cares, I’ve since found out, and he’s great to talk to, if a bit cynical. I think you would like him, really.

‘Is there anything non-confidential that you can tell me about your orns? I mean, I imagine you’re busy with work and stuff, but… I would really like to hear about anything that you’re willing to share! Story files you read recently, friends, anything? I probably sound really desperate, but it seems like you know _everything_ about me sometimes… And all I know are little things like your energon preferences and some games you play and your favorite weapons (which I think are actually really cool, by the way, because I’ve never seen anyone but Kup be able to wield something that needs that much experience, and he’s only ever shown us once; I think it would be totally kick aft to watch you use them!) though, so you can hardly blame me, right?

‘Oh, and Wheeljack built a little energon cube compactor for Scorponok! It takes regular energon and condenses it into little cubes so that Scorponok can refuel easier, it’s really amazing! And Perceptor found some durable toys that he can play with, which are… pretty much everywhere right now because I haven’t bothered cleaning yet. Little drone is absolutely spoiled.

‘I don’t really have a lot else to report for the last few orns except Instructor Kup finally chose a student aide, a mech named Ironhide. He’s a little rough around the edges, but he’s not too bad, and he knows a _lot_ about weapons and weapons care, so I can see why Kup chose him even if I am a little envious.

‘I have class in a couple of breems and I still need to feed Scorponok, so I’m going to end it here for now and maybe I’ll have time to add more before the next time this gets picked up, we’ll see. If not, I can’t wait to hear from you again! I hope your work doesn’t drive you nuts like it does for Ratbat. He can be so touchy when work is stressful… Take care!

‘Sincerely, Optronix’

Smiling to himself, Optronix got up to set the letter on the table in front of the door again and went to feed Scorponok, taking a short moment while the cube was being condensed to tickle and pet his drone. Once the cube was done and Scorponok had been fed, the noble pet him again and then set him near his box. 

“I’ll see you tonight, Scorp’, behave yourself and I’ll bring you home a treat, okay?” he said as he gathered his work together and subspaced it. A cheerful chirr answered him and he waved good-bye to the creature on his way out the door. 

By the time the pad had been taken away again, he had found time to add in a few little notes; how aggravating the whole Ratchet/Wheeljack problem was was at the top of the list, followed by the trip his art history class was supposed to be taking to Crystal City had been delayed because of a bad virus that had been going around there, and a few funny conversations that he had participated in or overheard that he thought might be able to brighten his suitor’s orn a little bit were tacked on in sloppy scribbles down at the bottom, just to let his admirer know he was thinking of him.

* * *

Megatron waited patiently for the view screen to light up, claws toying with the small datapad he had taken to carrying with him through his orns. He liked feeling the small thing in his hands, knowing that Optronix had used it… held it. But it was not his Intended he should have in processor right now – rather, another young mech was his main concern. A young and precarious mech that had managed to impress him with his abilities and his keen processor. 

Spymaster Barricade… The youngest Kaonite to hold that title in more vorns then Megatron cared to count. It had been a good while now since he took the position and he had performed flawlessly, showing good judgment and discretion even when his work was of the ‘public’ variety. It was beyond time that the mech was rewarded with more than a spoken promise! Unfortunately, the mech was hard to read and he held his privacy very dear. 

Hopefully, Soundwave would have a better idea of a possible reward for him, as they had been working together for a while now. This mission had brought them even closer to each other… It had given the Ambassador cause to send him some evaluations and reports that had only strengthened his resolve in the matter of rewarding his spymaster. But the reports had held no clue as to what form it might take…

Soundwave waited until he had received confirmation of Barricade’s departure to Kaon before accepting Megatron’s call, his face mask snapping back to reveal a soft, pleased smile for his friend. 

“My lord,” he said, his tone teasing as much as respectful. “Barricade is on his way back to you as we speak. What can I do for you?” It wasn’t unheard of for Megatron to call upon his time for idle chat, but it hardly seemed that should be the case when they had spoken just a couple of orns before…

“Ah, ah… drop the banter, my friend, this is serious,” Megatron reprimanded. Nevertheless, his own tone was light and his dermas curled in an answering smile. Nothing short of war could make them utterly serious, and even then… well, they _were_ of Kaon. 

To hear that the spymaster was on his way home to Kaon was both exciting and gratifying, though. Another letter? He had not been sure if his Intended would send one after the evasive answers, and plain non-answers, in his own letter. 

Instead of following that so tempting vein of conversation, Megatron continued with, “I wanted to talk to you about Barricade. More specifically, I want to get more information than what you put in your reports.”

Soundwave’s helm tipped to the side, his smile becoming vaguely more bemused. “Oh? And what does my dear friend wish to know about the youngling? I would hardly say that I have skimped on any details regarding his behavior and abilities…”

“His desires, Soundwave. Despite your opinion on his youth, he has served me well and long already… It is past the time for a reward. A simple promise is not enough, no matter his reaction to my words.” It had to be a significant thing, something that the mech really desired. He did not mean to insult his friend’s ability to make a report though, which Soundwave probably knew… If their long friendship didn’t lend hand in helping the mech figure that out, then the frequent shows of favor surely did! After all, finding rewards for the tape deck wasn’t too hard in itself, really. With mate and younglings, all he wanted was leave to be with them! That was easy to give, and Megatron did it happily. Barricade was another matter entirely, however…

“Ah. Well…” 

Well, yes, Barricade had more than earned whatever his spark desired… What _did_ his spark desire most, though? Soundwave wondered. He did not ask for credits, believing himself quite sufficient on his current pay, and the tape deck said as much. 

“He would not ask for a better living unit either, I don’t think. His is already quite lavish by his standards and he likes it that way…” Barricade had been perfecting and re-perfecting his home for as long as Soundwave had known him, at least! He was never quite satisfied – one of his most frequent complaints was that he always seemed to be missing something, but couldn’t place his servo on it – but it kept him occupied…

“A living unit is too generic anyway. And yes, I am aware that you do not like to read him.” Megatron’s dermas twitched from a lazy smile to something more like a cheeky grin. He more than knew; Soundwave had been rather concerned about that part in the beginning… Sensible, but unnecessary in the end. 

“There must be something… anything he has mentioned?”

“You cannot blame me,” Soundwave said, knowing Megatron didn’t. “It hurts us both for me to do so. A shame… But no, he has not mentioned anything. You know that is not his way.”

“He is entitled to the highest rewards, but none of them matter if he does not wish to have them. Land is not something for him, a title even less… What do I give a mech that seemingly cares only for serving his city-state?”

The blue mech sighed, resting his head in one hand in a rare sign of weariness. Although, on that train of thought… “Perhaps… Perhaps, Megatron, he just needs not a ‘some _thing_ ’ but a ‘some _one_ ’. He spends great amounts of time on his own and I can’t imagine he enjoys it _tha_ t much. Maybe…”

“A someone?” Megatron repeated a little incredulously. Of course, it _was_ possible to provide a mech servant or a bond servant to another. That kind of gift was hard to give though, careful matching of personalities was needed and… 

“You are not talking about a mech servant are you…? How would I provide him with the right company? As you well know, war slaves are not traded anymore.” They hadn’t been since his great grand creators’ time. Megatron’s tone was teasing and curious, for all that he was genuinely confused at the suggestion.

Soundwave chuckled, shaking his head, and gently touched the screen as if to offer a reassuring shoulder squeeze to his obviously confused friend. 

“I did not mean… Megatron, you know I wouldn’t suggest something like that! I was just thinking… Barricade has always been difficult to please, simply _because_ he is so neutral to everything. His impartiality is as frustrating as ever, so choosing _for_ him would be pointless. But if we gave him the option to choose anyone… _anywhere_ …” Hinting heavily now, Soundwave could only hope that Megatron wasn’t so stressed that he would have to spell it out. It just wasn’t as satisfying as seeing the Warlord’s optics light up in understanding and hopefully dim in that wonderfully smug and pleased look he wore when a particularly attractive thought made its way through his CPU… It was so rare these orns that the tape deck felt he couldn’t be blamed for wanting, hoping!

He was rewarded when the Warlord’s expression went from perplexed to a slow, intensely satisfying dawning of realization and then further, blossoming into that ‘cybercat that caught the radiocondor’ expression that the tape deck so loved to see.

“Oh… oh! A token?” 

The idea was rather novel, but he liked it. Megatron smiled, a real and bright smile, at his old friend. He remembered when the mech had come to him requesting not one but _two_ of them… All nervous and very much in love. One had yet to be returned to him, which Megatron understood and actually found comfort in. And, well, there was a reason why the tape deck had taken the job of ambassador in the first place, was there not? 

“And you think this will please him, to have the ultimate choice?”

Soundwave had a hard time not just bursting out laughing at the expression the gray and red mech wore. It made him look vorns younger! Ah, their younger vorns… The tape deck had to forcibly remove himself from the memories of when things were simpler; now was not the time!

“I think it is the only thing that will be worth anything to him, Megatron. As things stand, he’s limiting himself because he believes he must _be_ a certain way all the time. Taking away that limitation should bring him the happiness he so craves, whether he would acknowledge that fact or not. And who knows? Maybe a warm frame to curl up with will loosen some of that serious demeanor he seems to think he needs to carry on his shoulders all the time.”

“And that last is so important to you, is it not?” 

Relief made Megatron jab playfully at the most common complaint Soundwave voiced about the spymaster. It was true though; Barricade had a tendency to take everything so very seriously… Maybe it was not a bad idea to give him the opportunity to find a mate that fitted him, no matter who or what the mech might be. 

“I will give it to him before I send him back to you then… If he asks, offer him advice? You still have more experience than him.” Not that he did not believe in Barricade’s ability to make choices, but this was… different. One that few Kaonites ever had. Soundwave was really the only one that could offer advice and moved in the same circles as Barricade. Let alone that the tape deck was probably the only one the young spymaster might listen to.

“You know it is!” Soundwave replied, chuckling. “And you know I will. Even if he can’t be _my_ mate, I’ll be more than happy to assist him. _If_ he asks. Unfortunately, I don’t think he will, at least not for an irritating length of time…” The mech was as stubborn as he was serious, which made him… ridiculously cute. Soundwave huffed a sigh. “But I am sure this gift will be something that he desires, even if he doesn’t intend to use it right away. There are still so many city-states to visit, after all, and he’s never been one to simply leap into the fray without first evaluating things from all sides.”

“Being a long time about using it makes him even more fit for holding a token. I can think of only a dozen times it has been given beforehand and all of those were in the far past. Still, it will show my appreciation of his talents, and that is what I wish.” Megatron leaned back and huffed tiredly, allowing himself to relax more now that a decision had been reached. It had been a very long orn and now that the last task was over he felt the need to recharge beckon.

“Then it will suit him perfectly, Megatron. You needn’t worry so much. That’s what you have me for, after all. Speaking of worrying, though…” the tape deck trailed off, looking the Warlord over critically. “I think it is about time you headed to recharge. Tomorrow will carry just as many tasks for you as today, so you should rest while you can, and I have one more thing I would like to do before I retire, myself. So if I may make my leave to call my mate…?”

Megatron gave him another smile and bid him good night by way of response before switching off his end of the call, leaving Soundwave in the dim lighting and silence of his temporary residence for a moment before he activated another call code and smiled, softer and infinitely more intimate as the tired but happy visage of his mate lit up the screen and his life all over again, just like every other time they spoke.

“Hello, beloved…”

* * *

Just like last time, Barricade hung around to hear the Warlord’s reaction to Optronix’s letter. He and the guards (including the two off-duty ones from before that had mysteriously appeared when everyone was notified of Barricade’s return) were not disappointed. A roar of good-natured laughter was heard soon enough and Barricade withdrew, casting a knowing glance at the amazed looking guards as he left. Rumor had gone around, surely, but still, they had doubted!

* * *

Megatron, for his part, enjoyed his Intended’s witty descriptions and his… spunk? Yes, that was a good word. There was so much life in the young mech, so much, and he was so greedy. Anticipation for the future clearly nearly eating him alive! The situation with his two friends was also obviously plaguing Optronix, but he wasn’t yet ready to do anything about it openly. A wise decision; most mechs did not take kindly to others (even if friends) messing in their love life. 

It was sad that he would have to take a little of that life joy from his Intended… If he could see any other way of doing it, he would, but there was none! Soundwave had met with Lord Scholar Ratbat many times now and told him that there was no way the mech would allow a union between Megatron and Optronix if it wasn’t ‘forced’. Such a pity. Tradition would have to be followed; it was as he had thought… Optronix would be a prize in more ways than he wanted him to be.

Starting his return letter, Megatron sent for energon and settled back on his throne. Everyone knew better then to disturb their Warlord right now… 

‘Dear Optronix,

‘You are persistent… Very well, since I admire that trait as much as I admire your courage, I will give you a nickname. ‘Omega Alpha’ – it is fitting enough and yet it will lead no one to think about me if you should use it in public.

‘Yes, I am indeed of Kaon. Something leads me to believe you are not entirely surprised by this… You are far too intelligent a mech to not use the resources at hand! I know that your friend Perceptor works with imported items, including precious wood. As for being ‘pointy’, I suppose I am to an Iaconian. Your people seem to favor a smaller and more… streamlined armor configuration. I find it highly appealing to the optic, though I have no wish to change mine to match. 

‘Both of the ambassadors are smaller than me, and neither of them belongs to the ruling cast of Kaon. There are far fewer nobles, all with larger holdings, here than in Iacon. It is a harsh but beautiful place! I will hopefully be able to show it all to you in time.

‘I will greatly enjoy playing with you and I am glad to hear that you are honing your skill! Perhaps she cheats, but perhaps you need to concentrate more on learning your strategy? It is quite often the little things that bring one’s opponent down and not the grand sweeping motions of an entire army… Any type of battle is messy, even that on a game board and you should remember that there is no friendship when locked on either side of a fight. I do not wish to teach you to be ruthless or cold sparked, but some ruthlessness is needed when formulating strategies. You would do well to remember that, as I have a strong suspicion that she is thinking that way as well, but do not hold it against her.

‘A drone’s size is related to the size of the mech it is bound to; usually they grow no larger than one tenths of their mech’s size. My drone does have a name – Scavenger. It is larger and more armored than yours will likely be. It is also pointy, like me. They tend to mold their plating to fit their bound mech, just like a sparkling changes his upgrade shells when he is put into a new one. It just takes them a bit longer.

‘Your friends seem like such an eccentric group, I almost fear that I will be trivial in comparison to them. I fear that I do not have many I can claim as friends, though the Winglord of Vos is one such mech. And with the Winglord, of course, comes his trine mates… How much do you know of the nine rings of Vos, I wonder? It would make explaining that particular story easier if you have some idea of Vos’ inner workings. 

‘Anyway, the mech you know as Ambassador Soundwave is another. Soundwave is a very unique mech in and of himself – if you ever see him, do not hesitate to greet him! I will ask him to satisfy your curiosity as far as it can be for now. He would be delighted to talk to you regardless, I’m sure, but I do not bother to delude myself into thinking that you will not ask if given the opportunity.

‘Scavenger is now so large that energon cubes of a normal size are no longer a problem and since many of the high ranking warriors here have drones such a device is common. It is commendable for your Wheeljack to have thought of making one, though, just as the toys are commendable. A drone can and will chew on anything it can get a hold of if it doesn’t have something of its own.

‘Wheeljack sounds a lot like the chief scientist here, Shockwave, now that I have some basis for comparison; though not quite as detached. They might have more in common, who knows? Though it is important to note that Shockwave is also active politically and holds an advisory seat… he can be a frightening mech.

‘I do not have any advice on how to get them to confess, I am sad to say, although the closet idea is a very… satisfying one. Still… there is one thing? Have you considered using jealousy? As long as neither mech is one to go off on his rockets at the notion of someone else with their ‘beloved’, that is. Perhaps it will help, dropping hints that, for example Wheeljack is seeing someone who isn’t quite treating him well… just don’t be specific or Ratchet might go after an innocent mech.

‘This Ironhide sounds like the right mech for the position. I know of Kup and he does not choose a mech unless the mech is capable of doing the job. You could do it very well too, do not mistake my words, but as we both know your guardian would stop it before it became a reality no matter how fit you were for the role.

‘My work does not make me stressed and cranky, but it is very lonely and I greatly wish for someone more than a friend to share it with… I do not have much time to read things not related to my work, unfortunately, but when I do find time I like to read the works of Vector Prime and the mystery files of that young mech… oh, Huffer I believe his name is? Intriguing things, that mech writes… Which reminds me! I inspected an energon mine a few orns ago, they had found something quite interesting… I believe I will send you a sample of their find with this letter. It might cheer you up and provide a distraction until that field trip to Crystal City comes to pass. 

‘And please, lovely one… I do not expect a report, merely the tidbits of your life that you wish to share with a mech who is essentially a stranger. I am under no illusions as to what I am to you… as things are you are free to choose another and I will understand it even if I will be saddened by your choice.

‘I do hope to hear more about your life as soon as possible, may you have a good few orns until then.

Affectionately, Omega Alpha’

* * *

It was quite a few orns later that Megatron put the last few final touches on the letter. Like Optronix had, he wrote down little notes that more or less said he was thinking of the mech after the main section of his letter was comprised, but he also included things such as an abbreviated, and very entertaining, story of a meeting gone haywire because of a very drunk minor aide to Warlord Grimlock, an anecdote from when Scavenger was as small as Scorponok and a story about a mine collapse he had overseen the rescue operation for. The last was safe enough to give the whole story of; despite that it had been on his private estate and he had been very distraught about the two deaths that occurred, telling that would not specifically point to him. While he might not show it to many, Megatron did very much love his city-state and the mechs in it, and he wanted to get that across to his Intended more than he could properly say even though the mech would not know for a long time, if ever, that it was him, the Warlord, saying it. 

The Corax crystal he sent with the letter had been carefully chosen, too; it was not large, but given their nature of growing steadily when placed in sunlight or under another form of radiation, that would not last long. The crystal was a fortune in and of itself; it was not of the cool blue and greens of Praxus’ famous gardens or the clear and yellow corax from Helix… the miners had found a rare depository of deep red crystals. The color was almost as rare as the midnight blue that was occasionally found in Kalis! Still, he did not want that to affect how Optronix viewed the gift, so he avoided mentioning it in any way. 

Handing Barricade the pad and the box, Megatron cautioned him to be careful with it and then handed him a token. It pleased him that the Spymaster looked so shocked and gratified as he mumbled a grateful thank-you and left… Clearly, it had been the right choice after all.

* * *

Barricade barely knew what to do with himself as he settled into his seat on the skimmer. First that promise, and now a token? He could do anything with the promise and the token… He could court anyone he wanted to, in or out of Kaon. 

It was incredibly hard to be allowed to bring a mech in from another Citystate, as everyone well knew. They had to have a skill needed or be very much like a Kaonite, just as Optronix was. The token, however, changed all that. It would allow Barricade to choose a mech without having to conform to the rules. It also meant that his Warlord trusted his abilities and judgment… _And_ that Soundwave had probably sent back some very glowingly good reports on his behavior… This was so not the time to slip up!

* * *

This time, Barricade was almost frantic for the right place to put the box with the hovering crystal. It had been incredibly tricky to bring it into Iacon without killing it in the first place, and it needed fresh sunlight now or a good radiation source if it was to continue on living, neither of which did he have on him. Finally, he had to tiptoe into Optronix’s recharge chamber for the second time and place it in the only west-facing window in the entire dorm apartment. Leaving the blinds parted, he carefully placed both data pads down, the first being the ritualistic letter and the second with instructions about the Corax crystal and its care before he snuck back out the way he had come in.


	7. Corax

Maddening as it was, Optronix had woken up late enough the orn his letter and gift were predicted to arrive that he didn’t even realize he had rushed right past said things until after he had slipped into his first class just astroseconds before it started. This put his concentration off all day, since he didn’t even have time to slip back to his dorm to retrieve at least the pad. The results of that lack of concentration equated into a dented helm courtesy of Ironhide in weapons training and several irritated screeches in his audio receptor thanks to Elita trying to talk to him during break – and that was just the beginning!

It was a relief to be back in his room at the end of the orn, even if he was a little sorer than he would have been if he were less distracted, and he all but collapsed on the berth after ‘ooh’ing and ‘aah’ing over the truly magnificent crystal that his suitor had sent to him, new letter and mystery pad in hand. Scorponok joined him once it was finished with its meal, crawling onto his chest and knocking on the back of the letter pad until he relented and read it out loud. It was clearly just as eager as he was!

Omega Alpha was an interesting nickname, yet it did not bring to mind anything for him even if it seemed to bring utter delight to Scorponok. He would run it by Perceptor later and see what he thought… The thought was driven from his mind as he continued reading, though, simply because he was captivated by the long and detailed reply to his own letter. Who would have thought that it would be so nice to receive something as simple as a letter? And what was more, it was from a mech he didn’t know, but was seemingly so very interested in furthering a relationship with him…

The other data pad wasn’t nearly as exciting, although Optronix did appreciate the instructions since the crystal was obviously a delicate one that needed very specific conditions.

He was too tired to write a reply once he was done with everything else he needed to do that evening, much to Scorponok’s annoyance, but it didn’t take much persuading to get the drone to lie down and go into recharge after he promised to start the letter first thing next orn. Scorponok was so very demanding when it came to things concerning his suitor, and Optronix wasn’t sure what to make of that.

* * *

Scorponok had clearly taken his words to spark, for Optronix woke early the next orn thanks to his drone’s insistent nudging and chirring, and obediently set to work on his return letter after feeding them both. He didn’t have time to finish the entire thing before class started, which undoubtedly was another point of severe annoyance for the creature, but Scorponok was ready for him, datapad in mandible, when he returned to his room that evening. By the time it was done, at least for the time being, the red and blue mech could easily say it was the longest non-school related thing he had ever written, and he was oddly proud of that. Undoubtedly, there would be more to add before it was sent away, but still!

* * *

Optronix was more than a little bit excited as he dragged Perceptor back to his dorm after classes a couple of orns later, babbling to the mech about the present he had received. He knew it probably looked silly to any passerby, but he couldn’t help it!

“It’s the most beautiful crimson color, Perce, just wait ‘til you see it…” 

“It’s very fascinating, Optronix, but…” 

It was more or less hopeless; his larger companion was just too excited about his gift to slow down or really listen. It wasn’t that Perceptor minded the excitement, as such; he would just have liked to actually be able to walk at a somewhat dignified pace, instead of half-running, half-jumping along. At least they got there fast… 

“Where is the gift then?” He was very curious, he couldn’t lie about that. So far the gifts had all been interesting.

“It’s in my room,” Optronix replied as he led the way inside his dorm and then to the berth room and the crystal sitting by the window with Scorponok curled around its base. “Isn’t it just great? I’ve never seen crystal that color before!”

“Oh my…” Perceptor’s irritation completely vaporized as he drank in the sparkling deep red color and the way the sun made it radiant as if the crystal held a light source deep within. It was beautiful and worth the amount credits that had been expended for the other gifts and the imported wood of their cases, and probably a few times more than that too, all on its own. Rare corax sold for ridiculous amounts of credits; they were delicate, but they could earn a clever mech many times their original price. “I want a piece when it’s bigger.”

Optronix grinned smugly. “Of course. I told you you’d like it,” he said, scooping up his drone for a quick cuddle. “I can’t believe he sent me something like this… He trusts me to take care of it! He gave me the instructions and everything, but it isn’t it just the most awesome crystal you’ve ever seen?” There was more than a little pride in his voice as he said that, naturally! His secret admirer had entrusted this to him and he would do whatever it took to keep it alive and healthy!

“It is beautiful! I have never seen a corax of this color… though I have read about them. They are usually found underground though they thrive in sun radiation too.” Luckily for Optronix, Perceptor was far too lost in observing the crystal to throw himself whole sparkedly into a lecture.

Yes, the pad had mentioned that… Oh! He should probably show that to Perceptor, too. 

The larger Iaconian hurried to find the pad and presented it to his friend for inspection. “These are all the details they have on it so far. I guess it’s a very rare type that they almost mistook for another species…”

“This is interesting! I did not know…” Perceptor trailed off, his optics busy between the data pad and the crystal. This gift was at once puzzling and grandiose – that much was obvious. It could be called a bribe almost, except that Optimus had enough wealth in his own right to live a very comfortable life. He didn’t need the income this crystal could represent in a few vorns of good care. He thought he remembered something else about them… or at least about giving them. But, no… It was vague at best, which was going to prove quite irksome.

“I found something you didn’t know already?” Optronix teased, and then remembered the other thing he had wanted to talk to his friend about. “Speaking of knowing things, though… My secret admirer gave me a nickname to call him by finally. ‘Omega Alpha’. It doesn’t mean much to me, but I was wondering if it would to you since you’re better versed in foreign things…”

Perceptor reluctantly put the pad down and made a face at Optronix for the tease. “Oh, haha! You smart aleck…” Contrary to popular belief, there was a lot he didn’t know, he just liked to be at least a little knowledgeable about most things… 

“Omega Alpha… that’s… an obscure reference indeed. It is a reference to the holy texts of Primus and Unicron, of why they bonded each other as well as Prima, if I’m not mistaken.” Casting his friend a questioning glance, he jerked his head in the direction of the living room. He would like the chance to sit down and maybe try to coax Scorponok over to him for a little petting.

Optronix nodded and gestured the mech ahead of him into the front room. “Do you have any idea what it could mean? Or anyone that would? Also, do you want any energon or anything? Since I’ve taken you captive and all for my own personal gain.”

“I am not sure I remember right but… At the beginning of time Unicron and Primus were told that one of them would be the end of the other and the beginning of the end of the universe. They were brothers without a brother bond but neither could see themselves wanting to be a destroyer and they ended the threat by creating the bond that didn’t exist. Omega means ‘ending’ and alpha is ‘beginning’ and ‘victor’, I think… you would have to ask a priest to be sure. And energon would be nice, yes.” Perceptor finally sat down and looked thoughtfully at Optronix. 

Optronix vaguely remembered a story like that, but that didn’t help bring any particular mech to mind. Even after he had drawn a couple of cubes for them and a treat for Scorponok, he had nothing! It was very, very frustrating.

He handed one cube to Perceptor and sat down, finally giving in. “What do you think that means? That he’s an ‘end’ and a ‘beginning’ at once?”

“Well, if he is as serious as he seems he could be both for you, right? It is clear that your ‘secret admirer’ is well versed in intellectual pursuits though… those words are ancient, some say they are not even Cybertronian in origin but far older.” Perceptor shrugged and smiled shyly. He really wasn’t used to helping the only slightly younger mech with relationship issues…

“He…” Optronix considered that with a small frown, which turned into a full on pout as he pieced together what he already knew and what Perceptor had just told him. “So basically, he didn’t give me _any_ clue as to who he is! He gave me more of a ‘what’ than a ‘who’, and it wasn’t a very good ‘what’ at all!”

“Maybe he did, but since we don’t know him it can be very had to tell indeed. And… even if it is only a ‘what’, isn’t it nice to know that he is serious with this? So serious that he evokes ancient Cybertronian from the holy texts!” Optronix seemed unhappy and Perceptor reached out to pet his arm while offering the only reassurance he could think up.

Optronix continued to pout. It was nice, but that didn’t make it any less irritating! He wanted to _know_ about his suitor, not just have his suitor know about him… He wanted to meet the mech, talk with him, play games with him and just… be around him. Get to know him and be friends, and maybe flirt and… Well.

“I’ll just have to hope he slips up somehow, or that Ambassador Soundwave does if I can manage to talk to him eventually,” the larger mech sighed, smiling a resigned smile at his friend. 

“I am sure he intends to explain at some point. Courting in this manner can only go so far after all.” 

That, at least, was something Perceptor was very sure about. Eventually Optronix’s suitor would have to step out of the shadows of mystery… it would be interesting to see if he could live up to what he had made himself into.

Optronix huffed but let it go. He took a sip of his energon and glanced back toward his recharge room even though he wouldn’t be able to see what his optics were searching for from where he sat.

“So what d’you make of the crystal then? Pretty neat, right?” the noble asked as he turned his attention back to his friend. “He seems to be offering me more amazing things all the time, but it never feels like a real bribe or anything…”

“It is… it is wonderful. I truly have never seen anything that beautiful before… such a deep color not pale like most.” Praising the gift was easy, if only he could remember the thing… well, the thing that was nagging him to remember it. Something about Corax and Kaon, about gifting them. Perceptor drank a bit of his energon, pondering the escaped bit of knowledge. 

“Yeah… What’s on your mind, Perceptor? It’s not like the gift is rigged to explode or anything, so you don’t need to look so serious.” Optronix intended it to sound like a joke, but if it had _Perceptor’s _faceplates scrunching up like that…__

“Oh, it is not the gift; I just think there is something I have forgotten.” Perceptor smiled, still bothered that he could not remember but quite willing to put aside for later. Optronix knew how he could be when he forgot things… the benefit of having known each other for so long.

Optronix frowned thoughtfully as he watched Scorponok wipe his face on the cleaning towel hanging off the arm of the couch before moving over to try and stick his claw in Perceptor’s cube. 

“Something you’ve forgotten? Like what? Grading some tests or something? I did kind of take you away without warning…” 

“Mm… No, something about gifting Corax – but it is not important, Optronix. Really, it could be anything from a detail of the courtesies involved to how it is properly presented. Neither would have any impact on you being gifted one under these circumstances.” Shrugging his slim shoulders, Perceptor dismissed the topic and gently pushed Scorponok away from his cube.

“No, Scorponok, I want to drink that myself.”

Scorponok chirred and crawled back into Perceptor’s lap reproachfully, latching onto the mech’s chest plates and staring longingly into the cube, though he didn’t reach for it again. Not yet, at least. Optronix knew that Perceptor would have to keep an optic on his cube or he would likely be wearing it thanks to the drone’s excitable nature…

“Behave, Scorp. And if you’re sure… I’m sure it will come to you either way.”

“I’m sure, too… But still.” The Instructor smiled and turned his attention more to Scorponok. “He’s getting bigger… I wish it was possible to get more knowledge about him; there really isn’t much to find.” Perceptor huffed and took a longer sip from his cube. There was a lot about all of this that he would like to know more about…

“Don’t you have access to some of the Kaon trade channels? I’m surprised you haven’t tried to bargain your way into a new section of library space filled with guides and informational vids and such.” Optronix knew that was exactly what he would have done! And if Perceptor _did_ manage to get his hands on something, he would love to read it… Having a drone was great and all, but he didn’t _know_ much about them…

“I have. Kaon is closed… I mean, they are interested in trade and such, but not information sharing. At least, not uncontrolled sharing, and thus the things I have asked about have all been ‘unavailable’.” Made a science ‘bot wish he could move to the city-state! Somehow, though, Perceptor rather thought he would still be barred even if he did that. Kaonites guarded their secrets closely.

Optronix made a face. “Well, slag. I guess I forgot how selective they were about such things… Do you think that maybe Elita and Firestar might have information? They’re foreign, too…” Not that Yuss and Kaon were on the best of terms either, but it didn’t hurt to ask!

“I would not think so… Yuss and Kaon have a difficult history with each other.” That meant that they might have knowledge of weapons, but not anything more domestic. Drones could be weapons, as Scorponok had proven, but they would have been viewed as only that by the Yussians and that was not the kind of information he wanted. Perceptor took another sip and finally relented, sticking his index digit into the energon and offering the wet finger to the drone.

“That’s what I was just thinking. Doesn’t hurt to ask though…” He was likely to forget, but Perceptor would probably remember the next time they saw the femmes. Or… “I could just ask my suitor! I doubt he would just hand over text documents or anything, but he might be able to provide some insight? Not in this letter, since it’s really long to begin with… But the next letter?”

“Asking for information about a gift should not be wrong, considering that he… that Omega Alpha admires your scholastic skills as well as your weapon skills, I would think he might welcome the questions.” Perceptor smiled as the small drone licked the droplets of energon off his finger, leaving him to enjoy his cube in relative peace.

“Careful, or you’re gonna spoil him rusty! Even more than I already have, I mean,” Optronix chuckled, reaching over to scratch down his drone’s back. “And I’m sure he would answer them, but there are so many questions we could ask… It would be easier to ask for an instructional pad or something, but I don’t want to start requesting too many things and give him the wrong impression before we’ve even met!”

“You can always start with the most pressing questions. Your suitor has proven that he is a very intelligent mech time and again; if he sees a need for a manual I am sure you will get it.” Perceptor smiled wanly at the larger mech, patiently letting the drone play with his fingers as it searched for more energon. 

“He is just looking for attention; it is amazing how… pet-like he is. I have always thought that drones were more, well, drone like!”

“Yeah… And yeah, he is. He’s, like… an extension of myself, I think? When he bonded to me, he took on a lot of my traits. I mean, I don’t chew on styluses or anything, obviously, but he’s very energetic like me…” Optronix replied, smiling anew as he thought about all that they had in common. “Scorponok has been perfect for me from the start, and it only gets better with age. It makes me envy the Kaonites for having drones when they’re so rare in Iacon…”

“But that is the interesting part… drones, Iaconian drones, don’t do that… I would dearly like to know what it is that makes little Scorponok so different.” Perceptor didn’t expect to ever find out, their drones were as closely guarded a secret as any other remotely fascinating part of Kaon. He’d studied all he could get his hands on already…

Optronix frowned contemplatively. “Maybe… they’re not drones at all? Not completely sentient, but not… unaware?” Did that make any sense? It seemed to be the only explanation he could come up with in regards to how Scorponok acted compared to what few other drones he had seen…

“If not drones then what…? Successfully tamed wildlife? No one’s ever succeeded with that…” At least no one in Iacon or the Iacon friendly city-states, but Kaon… 

“It would be nice to learn, but I believe I must be satisfied with just knowing your little friend here.”

“We’ll just have to see what kind of information I can get out of Omega Alpha, then, huh? If I can get anything at all, that is…” It seemed that his suitor was pleased with how he took care of Scorponok so far, so he might not feel it necessary to divulge more information on the matter… Optronix was willing to try, though!

“I guess we must.” And really, the microscope was okay with that even if a bit annoyed. No one could know everything. He had been young when he had had to admit that to himself – not that it prevented him from trying to know as much as possible! 

“And no matter your irritation with him, you still seem quite fond of the mech known as Omega Alpha.” Smiling, he gently teased his old friend.

Optronix smiled a little sheepishly. “What can I say? He’s been good to me and I haven’t even met him yet…” But oh, how he wanted to!

“Anyway… Have you ever heard of a writer named Huffer?”

* * *

The letter was only touched again so that Optronix could add little snippets and notes to it, though there weren’t many aside from his revision of the first part to mention Perceptor’s interest in the crystal.

The orn before it was expected to be taken, though, because Scorponok kept fighting him over it, a half chewed ball, cleaned of course, was left atop the letter along with an apology for it scribbled at the top of the letter. He pondered in the brief apology if maybe Scorponok was trying to send it to Scavenger, which was kind of cute in an odd way because wasn’t Scorponok still technically a sparkling?

* * *

“My lord.” Barricade bowed, sensor panels, small as they were, proudly flared on his back. He had done well again, proven that Megatron’s trust in him was not at fault. It was odd how functioning as a glorified messenger gave him more satisfaction then vorns of service in the more grizzly disciplines of his work. The black and white mech offered his ‘spoil of war’ to the larger mech, the data pad, already small in his hands, being dwarfed by the clawed digits used to delicately pick it up now. 

“Excellent work as always, spymaster.” Megatron settled back in his throne, his drone swiftly crawling up his leg to curl in his lap. 

“Go, take the rest of the orn for your own pleasures. I shall call on your services again soon enough.” A flicker of those big claws dismissed him more effectively then the words had. The spymaster retreated, not at all begrudging the warlord’s wish to be alone with all he could have of his Intended for now. 

He had to admit to getting quite the kick out of delivering Optronix’s letters and seeing the near awe on the guards’ faces when they all heard the Warlord laugh again though. Megatron was both feared, for he was a fearsome mech to those that did not personally know him, and loved, for he was also a fair ruler, and his subjects had been hoping that he would find a bond mate soon. The news of it being an outsider was met with very mixed responses… It was tradition, but a tradition that had faded since Kaon began trading with the other city states more then they warred with them. But the ones that stood guard here would not doubt the wisdom in the choice of one little unknown Iaconian again!

\----

‘Dear Omega Alpha,

‘HOLY SLAG, THE CRYSTAL YOU SENT IS BEYOND AMAZING.

‘Just thought you should know, you know, because it is. Percy has already asked for a sample once it creates new crystals. He’s really fascinated by it, and it’s so pretty so I can’t blame him. I’ve never seen one like this before!

‘I’m sorry to hear about the collapse and deaths though. That must have been hard. Now I want to hug you, because that’s really depressing. It could have been worse, but still…

‘I hope I didn’t offend you with the ‘pointy’ comment; it just seemed like a good word to use. And yeah, we’d been speculating since the first gift, and it seemed like the most reasonable solution even though, technically, someone else could have bought it from Kaon… Wheeljack’s been insisting it was a Kaonite pretty much the entire time, and he’s almost unbearably pleased that he was right. I think it’s kinda cool the way you guys look, either way, and feel free to tell me if it’s too personal or whatever, but, um, when you guys, ah, you know, do… _stuff_ , do you ever get stuck together? Like, do all of your little bits get interlinked and you have trouble separating again?

‘On a completely different note: I think she cheats because she does the ‘Oops! I dropped something and, oh, look at that, it’s on your side of the table, could you get that for me?’ thing. Maybe I should get a table with high borders or something… I know I need to work on my strategy though – hindsight always comes back to bite me in the aft when I’m reviewing a game after it’s over.

‘Will Scorponok’s coloring change, or just its shape and size? And Scorponok seems quite eager to hear of others of its kind; it has had me read the things you’ve said about Scavenger many times since your last letter arrived. It has also started refusing to recharge anywhere but in my berth. Is that normal? If not, how do I get it to stop? Not that I mind, it’s not like I don’t have room to spare, but I don’t want it to be _too_ spoiled…

‘I don’t really know a lot about Vos or its occupants, unfortunately. I know of the current Winglord and his past successors, that groupings are generally in threes and that they can be hired as mercenaries, and that, as the ruler’s title implies, they are lords of the sky. I’ve never heard anyone call any of them unattractive. I’m sad to say that’s as far as my knowledge of them extends, as I won’t be able take anything involving the history of Vos until after I finish my study of Crystal City and Kalis. 

‘You are friends with the Winglord though? I don’t mean to offend in any way, but I have heard that he is rather… screechy? I think is the right word… And if I see Ambassador Soundwave, I will talk to him if we both have time. It’ll probably be easier to learn uncompromising stuff about you that way anyway. But I’ll still ask you questions because even if I’d get answers faster that way, I think it’ll be better to hear stuff from you directly. And you shouldn’t feel like that! I’m sure you’re just as interesting as they are. And you can think of me as your friend, too. We’re already message buddies, and I bet we would get along great if we ever meet in person.

‘I doubt Wheeljack knew that, but I guess it only makes sense if a lot of you have drones. Does everyone have the Scorponox model or are there other varieties that you use? And having toys doesn’t stop Scorponok from chewing on my stuff. Styluses, mostly. I have to lock up the one you gave me to keep it from gnawing on it. 

‘Ratchet and Wheeljack do enough of that themselves! Anyone that so much as talks to ‘Jack is labeled ‘Enemy Number One’ without hesitation, and when Ratchet gets all protective, ‘Jack gets this hopeful expression on his face, it’s so glaringly obvious to the rest of us that he honest to Primus thinks Ratch’ is gonna actually _do_ something this time that it’s painful, and then Ratchet will get cold pedes and back off again! They’re gonna drive me insane; _insane_ , I tell you. Elita too, which is saying something because her patience is practically limitless when it comes to stuff like that. So yeah, basically, Ratchet would completely flip out if we tried it on him and ‘Jack would get depressed if we tried him instead.

‘And yeah, Ironhide is great. Participation in demonstrations has definitely improved, mostly because he’ll shoot at you regardless of if you volunteered or not. And we get along well; he’s really impressed with the axe you sent me, practically fawns over it. I guess one of his creators is from Kaon and they have one a lot like it, but it’s been dulled and put up for decoration because his creator is retired now. Writes essays on different fighting styles instead, and I looked them up and they seemed pretty solid. I could send you some if you’re interested? 

‘I don’t think I know any Huffers, but perhaps Perceptor will. He’ll read anything he can get his hands on, so it wouldn’t surprise me if he does… I’m more into those fantasy stories, you know, ones about a mech who gets stranded on an exotic organic planet with no way off and no way to call home and is forced to adapt to organic life styles and ends up falling in love with the planet and its inhabitants so that when he is finally found, he refuses to leave? Or anything like that, really. I always thought those were beautiful.

‘And I didn’t mean like, official reports, just like… you know, telling you things? I’m just used to ‘reporting’ to Ratbat – that’s what he calls them even though they’re a lot like these letters; he’s so formal – because he can’t always be home when I have a break from school even though he tries. 

‘Scorponok says hello, in case you can’t tell by all of my terrible writing the last couple of paragraphs. It keeps nudging me and crawling over the data pad, then tapping the pad when I ask it what it wants. And it keeps bringing me one of its more mangled toys, but doesn’t seem to want to play. It’s in an odd mood this orn. I think it might want me to send it to you? Who knows.

‘Um… The Crystal City trip has been rescheduled for twenty orns from now. They finally got that virus cleared up so it’s safe to go. I’m so excited! It will be my first time in Crystal City. Elita and Firestar were there once and they said it’s amazing and they’ve told us all kinds of stories about the art and stuff there, so I can’t wait to see it. I have to leave Scorponok here though; I hope he’ll be okay since it’s just an overnight thing.

‘Ratbat is supposed to be here sometime within the next three orns because he wants to speak with my instructors in person to make sure my grades aren’t slipping. He’s looking for any excuse he can find to hinder my weapons training, and it irritates me even though he thinks he’s doing what’s best for me by trying to convince me to drop those classes. I feel really whiny saying it, but he just doesn’t understand that I _do_ know it’s dangerous, and even knowing that, I like the idea of becoming proficient in weapons handling and being able to protect people. 

‘Not much else has happened since the last time I wrote to you though, and I don’t predict anything else happening before this gets to you unless Ratchet finally gets a working CPU and starts courting Wheeljack. Well, or if Perceptor decides to let one of his many suitors court him, but I doubt that will happen. He doesn’t seem interested in any of us groundbound mechs. I’ll still make little notes of things though.

‘Sincerely, Optronix

‘P.S. Wheeljack insists that I tell you hello from him, and I gave Ratchet your message from the letter before this one and he huffed and glared at me, insisting he had no idea what I was talking about, then went right back to staring at Wheeljack with stupid googly optics!’

\----

Megatron was quite pleased with the impressions his gifts made on the young Iaconian. However, he was a little less pleased when he got to the parts about the little drone. Scavenger had been gently chewing on the destroyed toy until he came to that part and was now agitatedly trying to climb his chest plates. It was not Optronix’s fault that he had forgotten how little use Iacon had for drones and just how few Kaon drones there were in the city state. It took a very short time to send a message to Soundwave about this and what Megatron wished done about it… still, he had to arrange for this letter to reach his Intended quicker than normal. It was a good thing the next gift was ready, so all he had to do was write his response…

‘Dear Optronix,

‘I am pleased that my gift is appreciated… I do hope that you will forgive my forwardness but such a crystal is a proper courting gift among Kaon’s elite. I have not sent it to you in the hopes of garnering any promises, though, but merely to give you a piece of my home. I am only telling you this because senator Soundwave kindly reminded me that some of your friends might know of this custom and cause you alarm by telling you. Understand that I would love nothing more than court you openly! But I will not force any promises before I can do so…

‘Your friend is more than welcome to a fractal from it; in fact, if you feel like it, you can donate some fractals to Iacon’s gardens? I have gifted Winglord Starscream with a crystal from my own gardens to Vos’ Falling Garden… Now that I think of it, I will have to ask him to invite you there some time if we ever meet! Praxus might be the city-state known for its gardens but I assure you this is only because very few outsiders have been allowed to see the Falling Gardens of the nine rings.

‘The two miners have been laid to rest as is proper and their families are taken care of… It is always hard to lose people! I do not know of the way Iaconian nobles are taught, but here no matter who you are you have to take a turn at each and every job preformed on the estate you will inherit. We are taught to respect even the lowliest job because if it is not done by someone it will not be done at all…

‘If you had been here, I would have let you hold me and been more than thankful for the support! I fear that I do not have any friends it would be appropriate for me to hug in such a situation… intimacy is a little taboo for me you could say.

‘No offense taken at all! We are ‘pointy’, from your perspective at least… Do not fear to offend me, Optronix. Unless you are deliberately nasty, I will not take offense and merely explain why it could be seen as such. And no, we do not get stuck when we interface, lovely one; in fact, all those interesting ‘pointy’ bits are often sensor filled and therefore feel very good when others lick and suck them.

‘I wonder how your plating would feel… but that is perhaps a bit too forward of me? Still! I will be honest enough to tell you that I cannot help imagine how you would feel against me, how your mouth would taste… I am but a mech and I do have intentions towards you, not all of them entirely pure!

‘I have two reasons for giving you the gifts in black wood boxes. One was to let you guess where it was from and the other… well the other, you will know in time. I could wish that the need for mysteries were already over but I promise you that you will understand before you are asked to make any true commitment.

‘I do believe I would like this Wheeljack of yours a lot! Though I hope for you all that he and Ratchet will get their act together soon… their mating dance is getting a bit too long. I am beginning to think that the closet idea is your only option…

‘Have you considered that she simply makes you think she is cheating? Feints can take many forms… if you think she is cheating you might already be thinking ‘oh well I have lost’ and so you stop fighting hard enough to win. Or as you say, she could really _be_ cheating, it just doesn’t fit much with what I have learned of the Yussians?

‘Hindsight bites us all, it is its nature. Luckily, at our status, we can have tacticians and generals working for us and if they are worth their pay they will tell you when you do something supremely stupid. But that is of course on the actual battle field and it should not prevent you from being the best strategist that you can become.

‘Drones are a lot more intelligent than most think, or at least Kaonite drones are. We developed them over the mega-vorns and ended up with three classes. They are self-reproducing, so calling them ‘drones’ is technically wrong… The Scoponok model is the most widely known and the only one we sell to other city-states. Only the sterile ones though, which yours is not! There is the Felidea model and the Avisea model, as well, which are less known, but you will see them someday, I promise.

‘Since you seem to not bring him with you a lot, it is likely his need for your company that drives him to recharge with you. I would recommend that you get an armor modification so you can bring him around with you. He is reaching a state where the owner bond needs to be finalized and that means you need to have him with you for an extended period of time. Furthermore, he is programmed to protect you; this is not accomplished very well if he is not with you.

‘The stylus chewing is just a habit and a bad one… good luck with breaking it though. Scavenger still insists on gnawing on my claws if I am not doing something like writing or reading. As for the toy, Scavenger has adopted it, which I suspect was Scorponok’s intention all along… he probably longs for company of his own kind. They are quite social as long as they are not being asked to share a master.

‘They are indeed the lords of the sky and Starscream rules them all! He has a very screechy voice when he yells or has to speak loudly… but in private, I think he is in possession of the sexiest voice I have ever heard. Of course I have yet to hear yours? It would be interesting to compare the two of you like that, but if your vocalizer is anything like your physical appearance, I’m sure it will be lovely.

‘Vos is… special in many ways. It needs to be seen but it is even more insular than Kaon. As I said before, I would like to bring you to see it… if you will allow me to. 

‘The Seekers are all far too attractive for their own good, possibly that is why they are insular… I happen to think it is because of their heat cycle. Anyone but a resonant or another Seeker better keep well away from Vos when that hits. One has to envy the resonant though! When a Seeker in heat finds his mate it is said the ‘poor’ thing can’t walk for orns after. You should look forward to learning about them; it is a fascinating city state and a fascinating people… In fact, when I ended my stint at the Kaonite University, it was with a co-written assignment about their history, and my partner was Starscream. He is something of a scientist and very brilliant.

‘I am pretty sure you will see Soundwave soon… He has been invited to talk at the Iaconian University. I believe he intends to lecture about drones, actually… He is an expert on them, after all. You should attend it if you have the time! He might even bring one or two of his sparklings; they are never far from him. 

‘Now that sounds like a weapons instructor! This Ironhide has the right attitude; after all you can’t volunteer on an actual battle field – learn to expect the unexpected. And half Kaonite? Very interesting. I will look that up I believe. Not many Kaonites leave for good and we always have our borders open if they or their heirs wish to return. He should at the very least be given a proper weapon… Soundwave will be able to determine better. Please do not warn him. I will admit that I am doing this partly for you, but make no mistake, I wish the best for all my kin and our weapons are as much a part of us as our knowledge and our drones.

‘I will send you a selection of Huffer’s novels. He is quite a good writer! I must say that that type of story doesn’t hold too much of a spell for me, though. But then again, I have been to organic worlds. They do hold wonders as great as Cybertron’s and I could see why some mechs might fall in love with them but… my own ties with Cybertron are too strong for that to happen. This isn’t to say they cannot be very well written… might I suggest the works of Scrounge? He has actually been to organic worlds and he does love them, he just loves traveling even more.

‘If possible, get the armor modification done before you go to Crystal City… I cannot guarantee that Scorponok won’t react badly to you not returning even if it is only for one night. Drones are not meant to be alone. If it is a question of your professors not understanding this, I can have Soundwave contact them… in fact, I will have him do so. Perhaps sending him to you without preparing you was a bit hasty of me…

‘I understand what you mean with ‘reporting’… But I do not wish to be another guardian to you. What I wish to be is better discussed the day we can finally meet but I am rather sure you have already got a very good idea. I have great respect for your guardian but he is not a mech I could ever strike up a friendship with – he is much too limited in his thinking. Rest assured, I have my optic on you and it is quite possible I know better than your guardian how you fare. You are in no danger of losing your weapons classes!

‘Maybe you should tell Perceptor about Vos? Though I would guess he already knows… if he is interested in fliers, perhaps he is one of the lucky resonants… As for Ratchet, he is a bit of a self assured mech which is all well and good unless it get in the way of taking advice. You can tell him that too!

‘Please bring greetings and well wishes from me to all of your friends. I happen to know that there are tests coming up a few orns after you get this… I doubt that any of you have anything to fear but a little extra luck and a blessing of the triad will not hurt, I believe.

‘Affectionately, Omega Alpha

‘P.S: I hope you will forgive that there will be a larger time gap between this and your next letter than normal. I had to let you know about Scorponok and I do not wish to intrude more on your life then I am already doing… while I know you appreciate the gifts and that you possibly have come to like me at least a little I am still a stranger and will stay that for some time yet.’

* * *

Barricade was obviously surprised to be called back so quickly, Megatron mused to himself, but he did not complain as he was given his orders. The Spymaster was a very good subordinate! He more than deserved Soundwave’s praise, the promise and the token. 

Megatron sat back in his throne and huffed as he watched the black mech leave, gently stroking his claws over Scavenger’s back… The little one chirred and settled down with the chewed on toy safely tucked under its chassis. Optronix seemed to grow under praise and the attention to his neglected skills… a smile crossed the Warlord’s face plates as he wondered what his Intended would say to the set of small energy blades. The weapons of assassins or of nobles who could fight for themselves, if Ironhide proved to be of true Kaonite inheritance he would know what they were and know how to teach Optronix the use of them. If not… Well, one day Optronix would be here!

* * *

To be back in Iacon and in Optronix’ dorm apartment this quickly… Barricade shook his head and placed the package on a small table. At least he had an easier time with this! Scorponok wasn’t anywhere about and the spymaster huffed quietly… Oh well. He had hoped to greet the little one again. He was a cute drone! Maybe he should ask the Warlord for a drone? But he already had the token to find his mate… 

Slipping back out, he tried to not dream about what kind of a mate he could find. After all, he had the whole planet to find him on!


	8. Of Relatives

It came as something of a surprise when another letter appeared in his rooms only a couple of orns after his last letter was taken away, but Optronix couldn’t help but be grateful for the haste with which his secret admirer had sent him such important information after he read it. He saw to getting the modification done as quickly as he could, but it was probably for the best that he couldn’t get it done before his uncle came!

As it was, Optronix knew that it probably seemed worse than the Pit to have to get cleaned up and detailed to anyone that had to tend to him the orns Ratbat came to visit. His nervousness over the mod being discovered before he could explain would have probably been his deactivation! He just couldn’t understand what his guardian thought was so wrong with going to a casual place while they made _casual_ conversation. The High Scholar tried, but he just didn’t understand that not everything had to be about appearances and influence and etiquette…

And thus, he had to look ‘presentable’ by his guardian’s standards and nothing less would suffice. They were going to the Crystal Gardens, a high end restaurant that had just opened up and seemed to be getting good reviews, so even a single smudge would be frowned upon. At least he would be able to take Scorponok with him… Ratbat wanted to meet the drone, or else the red and blue noble was sure he would have had a lot harder time convincing the purple mech to let him bring his pet.

* * *

Ratbat strode down the hallways of the University like he belonged there, parting groups of students without even having to look at them. He was an impressive figure, cape billowing behind him as only a well tailored garment would. The scowl on his face plates probably helped too – he was slightly late and that was not a good way to start something! Finally reaching his destination, he pressed the chime, hoping – probably against hope – that his charge was for once done on time.

Optronix had just finished getting ready – with no help from Scorponok, who saw clean plating as little more than a fresh canvas for drool and whatever bits of debris it could get its claws on – when the chime rang. He hurried to answer it before Ratbat could get impatient, and greeted the darkly colored mech with a polite inclining of his helm. 

“Hello, sire,” he greeted formally, knowing how his uncle viewed casual behavior in public when they were being watched. “Just a moment, I need to get Scorponok… Please, come in, and watch your step. I’ve doubtless missed some toys…”

Stepping inside the room, Ratbat looked around and curled his dermas in dismay; there were far too many weapons around! A small sense of relief came when he spotted homework and other more appropriate items lying around in neat piles or in corners where they wouldn’t stand out too much. All over the room there were black wood boxes and the wood carrier the drone had allegedly been brought in. How it was possible for someone to come and leave them…? It was beyond him. He had already demanded better security thrice! He knew the University had complied, he had sent his own security director to check up. This encouraging was both good and bad, and he knew nothing of the mech who seemed interested in his brother’s creation. The High Scholar didn’t dwell on it though, for Optronix had returned. 

“We are late, do you have the pet?” Better save the talk for the restaurant, here was not the place for such things.

Optronix held up Scorponok pointedly and said, “Yep. We just finished washing up, didn’t we, Scorponok?” he asked the drone, scratching gently under its mandible. It chirred happily and pressed against his chest plates, prompting a smile from the young noble. “This is him, guardian. Isn’t he adorable?”

“Yes… very.” Ratbat opticked the chirring drone critically, not at all sure what to make of it. Currently, it did not look like it could protect a sparkling… 

“Let us go.” Turning, he palmed open the door and led the way to his city skimmer, secure in the knowledge that Optronix would follow.

Immaturely, Optronix sarcastically mouthed his guardian’s words, but nevertheless followed after him obediently. It wasn’t wholly Ratbat’s fault that he couldn’t act normal…

Once they were on the skimmer, Optronix set Scorponok down to give him a chance to explore a little bit, and smiled sheepishly at the deep purple mech across from him. “It is good to see you… How have you been? Not too busy, I hope.”

“I am always busy; I regret I have not had the time to see you sooner though. This mystery mech of yours worry me…” 

Ratbat watched his young charge with a cool expression. He believed in keeping emotional reactions to oneself, something he had never been able to teach Optronix… The youngling’s Creator had never been good at it either. For a brief moment, Ratbat saw his younger co-creation in the youngling before him, and had to glance away as a longing ache swelled in his spark. 

“I saw that he has been in contact with you again?”

“I know you’re always busy just as well as you know I don’t like it. The council works you too hard!” Optronix insisted with a frown. Distant as Ratbat may be, he still cared for him! All that work was going to drive him into early deactivation…

He allowed the topic to be changed though, simply because it was pointless to discuss what they had discussed a thousand times before already. “Yes, he sent me another letter and gift. I would like to show it to you before you have to leave? It’s a beautiful crystal, sire.”

“Are you sure it is wise to accept these… gifts?” Ratbat couldn’t technically do much; Optronix wasn’t old enough to take over and run the estate left behind for him, but he was nevertheless a young adult. A noble youngling over the age of sixteen vorns, old enough to choose his own path. If he did not come to his guardian for protection said guardian could do nothing… 

“There is something… underhanded to the manner they are given in, have you not considered that?”

“I had considered it,” Optronix said somewhat petulantly. “But he has already explained that the need for secrecy is unavoidable right now, and I have been very careful to keep my wordings as neutral as possible on the matter! I have not, to the best of my ability, said yes or no to his wishes…” Why couldn’t Ratbat just be happy for him? Even if he didn’t know Omega Alpha as a physical being, they were still getting along well and the potential for something more was there but not pressing…

“Hm…” The skimmer landed before Ratbat could question that Optronix so easily trusted a nameless mech’s explanations. In another way it was perfect timing – the little drone had apparently acquired an interest in his right pede and the poking and prodding it was being to be subjected to was highly annoying. 

“Please take your… pet, we can talk further in the restaurant. I have arranged for a private dining hall.”

Private, right… Optronix scooped up Scorponok with a chiding look and followed Ratbat out of the skimmer. Clearly, lecturing the drone about _not_ pestering his guardian had done little good…

“How long are you free for? Just tonight?” he asked, trying to make conversation.

“Yes, there is a council meeting at dawn and then I need to take care of the estates,” Ratbat answered matter-of-factly, not interested in lying or softening the truth. He had a lot to do managing two estates, being High Scholar and advisor to the council. Optronix should be proud of his line and the achievements his ancestors had made… not playing around with weapons like his Creator. It had only ended his younger brother’s life tragically early.

“Now, tell me about your University work.” They could return to the letters and gifts later. He would like to be able to enjoy his meal without having a sulky charge picking at his cubes and snacks.

“Yes, sire,” Optronix answered obediently, and then proceeded to talk about everything the purple mech wanted to hear about. Ratbat just didn’t _understand_ … But at least he cared, the red and blue noble thought as they were led to their room and seated. Even if he didn’t understand, he cared.

“… And we just finished reading that piece by Drillbite. Remember, I think I told you about that? I’m sure I passed it with flying colors…” he trailed off, smiling gratefully at the server who brought them their first round of energon. Ratbat had, at least, remembered what his favorite type was…

“It is good to know you still pay attention to your proper studies.” Ratbat was pleased, really… but he was also a little bit annoyed. With the mystery mech encouraging Optronix in his weapons training he feared that the young mech might fall to the same folly his Creator had. Orion had been such a lively mech, never one to sit down for long. Again pushing thoughts of his co-creation away, Ratbat huffed soundlessly. He was being very nostalgic this cycle… Maybe it was because Optronix came to resemble Orion more and more in manner and looks for every vorn? It would just be nice if he could prevent the youngling from playing at a warrior career!

“You know I don’t like it when you word it like that…” Optronix sighed, despite knowing that saying so was useless on so many levels. “My weapons classes are just as important! I want to be able to defend the things I care about, and I can’t do that without the courses I’m taking now and will take in the future.”

“We have the credits to hire guards to protect us, nobles are duty bound to think of their estates and the good of Iacon before any personal wishes.” It might be a romantic view of things, and the ‘glory’ of the battle field might sing a seductive song but it was the duty of any mech to think beyond himself and do what was best for other. Optronix had a lot of people depending on him to be a good protector and not in the sense of wielding a weapon!

Optronix scowled. Already, this argument was shaping up just like the last hundred before it! “Not all of us can sit behind desks! I would rather be able to defend myself regardless, because what if I’m caught alone? I have every right to be allowed to save my own chassis and not have to pray to Primus every other breem that no one will stab me when my back is turned!”

Ratbat refrained from huffing tiredly; they had so wildly different opinions on this. Despite, or perhaps because, of knowing his Creators end Optronix insisted on being able to defend himself. Instead of being sensible and rely on guards like any good scholar would!

“You keep your chassisguards with you always, as I do…”

“But I don’t _want_ to!” Optronix whined, giving the older mech a pitiful look. “I don’t want to have to rely on someone else like that… Not as a first, last, and only line of defense, anyway.” Fighting side by side was a different story altogether! Even if he knew why Ratbat felt the way he did, it would never change his belief that he needed to be able to take care of himself _by_ himself, just in case.

“You will have to rely heavily on others, there is no crime in trust! No matter what you choose to do you will always have to trust someone.” Even though Ratbat put emphasis on his words his voice was still cool. He knew Optronix trusted his… friends, no matter how inappropriate they were, some of them.

“Just as there is no crime in being able to fend for yourself and also be the protector, uncle,” Optronix shot back, foregoing any formalities in favor of emphasizing more important things. He knew everything Ratbat had done for it and he appreciated it on every level imaginable, but that would not change his mind! “Why can’t you accept that this is how I want my life to be? You’ve told me time and again to be knowledgeable in as much as I possibly can, so I don’t understand why weapons training and combat doesn’t fall under that category to some extent.”

“Knowledge in scholastic disciplines, Optronix, not with crude weapons only made for killing.” His tone was biting, for him, and his expression had drawn tight with displeasure. It was very seldom that his charge, his nephew took that kind of tone with him. Flicking his fingers in a gesture of acquiescence, he changed the subject. 

“I learned that you received… an axe? And you mentioned a crystal? What have you learned of your would-be suitor…?”

“They’re not just for killing,” the red and blue mech said sulkily, but allowed the topic to be changed again for the time being. “He sent an axe, yes… And the Corax crystal, which I hope you will have time to see before you must leave again. Once it is sure to survive on its own, I want to put it in the garden at the estate.” Optronix had no problem talking about those things… But what was there to say about his suitor? He did not know much about Omega Alpha at all…

“I know that he likes history?” the noble tried. “And that his drone is the same model as Scorponok. Scorponok’s got something of a crush on his drone…”

“Drones do not posses feelings.” Ratbat absently corrected the youngling, annoyed that he was still prone to such flights of fancy. Projecting feelings onto unfeeling beings and things was a sparkling thing… oh well. 

“History? How do you know this? And what type of Corax…?” It was an expensive no matter what type, but they had all been expensive gifts…

“Kaonite drones do. They’re specially bred from wild Creatures and can reproduce and everything,” Optronix said matter-of-factly. “And I know because he told me so. He even worked with Winglord Starscream on one of their final projects in Vosian history! As for the crystal… It’s red? Like a beautiful, deep crimson color… I would have to show it to you; I can’t possibly hope to do it justice by just speaking of it.”

Ratbat shook his head, a minute gesture, at the far too trusting nature of his charge. No one had ever managed to tame wild Creatures and he highly doubted that a barbarian city-state like Kaon would have been the first in any event. 

“I am sure we have time for that when we are done here.” Red Corax? That had to be a hoax of some sort… there were few crystals rarer then that!

Optronix grinned, inordinately pleased to have gotten even that small affirmative sentence out of the High Scholar. Even if it wasn’t the acceptance he so craved… “Well, enough about me. How is work? Aside from busy, I mean.”

“The negotiations with Kaon are taking up most of the council’s time and it is difficult to get any information on the city-state bar the most usual. They have provided very little that isn’t directly linked to trading. It is frustrating.” Ratbat shrugged. He had never wanted a council seat though he might very well have been able to gain one had he tried. Advisor suited him fine, allowing him to pull the strings from an unseen place.

“Aww. Well, I guess I’m not surprised… Even though they’re trying to establish a relationship with us, I guess I can’t blame them for wanting to withhold things until after things are less tense.” 

Even if it _was_ frustrating, Optronix could understand. Although he did hate that it stressed his uncle out… 

“How’s that assistant of yours? Skater, right? I never see him anymore, is he still around?”

“I suppose Skater is fine? He is taking an important set of documents to Helix for me; it always takes a long time.” And that was another delaying annoyance! Skater knew how he liked things done, all those new pages and secretaries where hopeless and they never stayed long enough to even compare to his personal assistant. 

“This trade agreement wouldn’t drag out so much if they would pull some of the more ridiculous clauses out, but they are very adamant…” He couldn’t, of course, discuss them openly with Optronix, but there was no reason to hide what made it all near unbearable. Ratbat huffed a little and waved a servant forth to take their empty cubes. Another quickly came with a selection of artfully arranged mini-cubes.

“Aah… Well, it’s good to hear he’s still around. He’s been good for you, unlike that one mech that tried to take his place while he had that virus…” But then, no one could worry quite as thoroughly and efficiently as Skater seemed to, at least not for Ratbat. Optronix had always been secretly grateful for that because _someone_ needed to be able to look after the purple mech at all joors and it couldn’t be him.

As he selected a couple of cubes from the tray for Scorponok to eat, the red and blue mech asked, “How much longer should it take? I mean, it can’t be _too_ much longer, can it?”

“It depends… No one wants to ruin it but there are a lot of mechs to make happy.” And a lot of mechs that could stop this peace treaty and the trade agreement that was an integral part of it. In the end, he supposed it would all depend on how much they wanted a lasting peace. The last war was long ago but there were still Iaconians that remembered it.

Optronix nodded. “Of course. Are the Kaonites asking for anything in particular? Or are you not really at liberty to discuss it that deeply yet?”

“I am not at liberty to discuss it in detail, no. It would not do for outsiders to try and influence the council’s choice in this. Too much is at stake…” Iacon recognized the change even if it was painful to let go of the past, traditions had to be preserved… even as they opened up slowly to what was inevitable.

“All I can say is that they are an intriguing and annoying mix of archaic and modern… it is frustrating to work with.”

“Ah… Well, I’m sure it’ll get sorted out and everything will work out just fine,” Optronix said with his usual optimism, smiling at the way Scorponok chirred in complete agreement between licks to the droplets of energon spilled from his cubes. “I really hope that this peace treaty comes into effect soon though. Perceptor, you remember him, right? He’s been _dying_ to get his hands on some of their information on Kaonite drones, but they won’t share them right now because we’re still not technically allies and stuff.”

“Of course I remember Perceptor.” If Ratbat’s voice could ever be called warm with pride this was it. He was immensely proud of the fosterling he had taken in for a few vorns. His demands on him had been far smaller than those he put on his nephew though, and he had been met with less scrutiny then Optronix ever would. 

“So he has taken an interest in drones and Kaon? That is good; we will need such interest soon.”

“What _isn’t_ he interested in?” the young noble asked with a laugh. “He’s not the only one, either. Wheeljack is interested in their technology, especially regarding the drones. In fact, his whole engineering class has been clamoring for a chance to see blueprints on anything the Kaonites are willing to share, their teacher as their guide into the unknown. I’m sure he would have a lot to ask about their technological advancements, too, if he ever got the chance to go to Kaon…”

“Currently there is no talk of an exchange program but that might very well change fast. We shall see. For the time being, I would like to hear more about this interest. Is it because of your drone?” Of course it was because of this little thing that Optronix stubbornly projected feelings onto. But if it kept his nephew happily talking…

“I don’t think it’s all about the drone, no, though it may have sparked their interest to see such an interesting technological development. Perceptor, for instance, interested in Kaon’s history and scientific developments and culture in general… You know how he is. He’s always so curious!” And that was the truth! If there was anyone who would pay all the credits on Cybertron for all of its knowledge and secrets, it was Perceptor, and anyone who knew him knew it.

“That is true… Perceptor never seems to slow down when it comes to acquiring new knowledge. How many classes is he teaching this time around?” Ratbat selected a cube and daintily sipped from it, though it really held nothing more than a decent mouthful.

“He’s teaching a full roster,” Optronix said, equal parts proud and concerned for his friend’s health. “And he’s taking a full course of classes for his next degree… I swear, he must have a twin I’ve never met! Either that or he doesn’t need to recharge like normal mechs…”

“Or he is able to plan his time.” The dry comment was a jab at Optronix’ often messed up schedule. Well, when he was younger at least, none of his professors had contacted him over missed classes. Ratbat allowed a small smile to take a little of the possible sting out of his words.

“That’s always an option,” the red and blue mech allowed, not at all bothered at Perceptor’s obvious and known superiority over him in time management. “Still makes me wonder how he gets any recharge… I mean, on top of teaching and then watching recordings of classes, he has to do class work _and_ grade class work!”

“He always was a fast reader, but we will likely never know…” Ratbat wasn’t particularly interested in knowing either. What he really wanted was to know more about this mystery mech, but he wasn’t sure how to ask in a way that Optronix wouldn’t take as an attack… he had proven to be very sensitive about the secret admirer. 

“Have you played with your new game set then?”

“I guess… And yeah, lots of times. Elita and I have played nearly every orn since I got it!” Optronix wanted sorely to ask Ratbat if he would be willing to play a round or two, but he knew his uncle was a busy mech and the answer would undoubtedly be no… “My suitor likes to play, too. I bet he’s really good at it… I wish I could play against him, even if I would probably lose!”

“Yes… maybe you will be able to.” Ratbat hoped that his reluctance didn’t come though too much, he really did not want to alienate his nephew because of this. The rich gifts and seedy manner of the seduction was however grating on him… That he couldn’t stop it was even more annoying. 

“I understand it is a very beautiful game set… perhaps you could show me that too, when I return with you to see the Corax?”

“Of course, uncle,” Optronix agreed readily, more than willing to take that request at face value and not look any deeper into its possible meanings. “Maybe… Maybe we can play? Sometime when you’re more available… It’s been a long time since we played and I want to see how I compare to you now.”

“Perhaps, we can look into it when this negotiation is over.” Ratbat had to admit that he missed those late light cycles where he had been subjected to his nephew’s slowly growing grasp of cyberwolves versus turbofoxes. When he allowed himself to think about it, there was a lot he missed about the sparkling his younger brother had left him… but the High Scholar was not one to dwell on what he could not change.

Feeling more relieved than he had thought he would, Optronix grinned. “I’d really like that. And maybe I can convince you to go to a more casual dining establishment, too.” That was probably pushing it, but it was a nice thought! Not to mention a humorous one, since imagining High Scholar Ratbat in anything less than the most high-end places was like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole…

“I do not see what you mind so much about this.” Ratbat huffed, but left that old argument at that. Another course was served, dessert, and that at least was to Optronix liking.

The fact that he had to get a full detailing to sip small cubes was usually a focal point in Optronix’s argument, but he let it go so that they could at least have a chance of parting on good terms later. There would surely be other things they would find to argue about…

When the meal was over and Scorponok was safely back in his arms as they headed out the door, the red and blue mech decided to drop the next big bomb by saying, “I’m getting a modification, uncle.”

“What?” Ratbat stopped dead, turning to glare at his charge with a severely displeased frown in place. Optronix was of course old enough to decide to get one on his own, he had the credits to have anything, more or less, done, too. 

“Might I ask what kind of modification?” Keeping his anger under lock, Ratbat attempted to give his nephew the benefit of the doubt. This might not be just a fancy… There could be a reason behind it. He _hoped_ there was a reason behind it!

Optronix was torn between hitting his cranial unit against a wall in despair of his bad choice of words and laughing himself sick at the look on the High Scholar’s face plates. In the end, though, he just shrugged a little bit and held up Scorponok like an offering. “Something so I can carry Scorp with me when I go places. My suitor says that the reason he’s so clingy when I get back from school and stuff is because he doesn’t like to be away from me because it goes against his coding…”

“A drone mortification…” Ratbat visibly relaxed, still not pleased but at least placated. For a moment there he had been afraid that Optronix was beginning to buy into the chassis modification hype that many noble younglings seemed so enamored with. 

“If it has to be done I suppose it is good. Will it change your appearance much?”

“It shouldn’t… I was just in for a fitting, and it’ll only add a little bit of bulk to my torso and upper legs to support the alteration,” Optronix said, glad that Ratbat didn’t seem too upset. It was necessary! Not that the High Scholar hadn’t had good reason to worry, of course, but he should have known Optronix wouldn’t be interested in weird modifications…

“That is good. I do not like modifications much but some things are necessary.” Ratbat opticked the drone with something akin to distaste. It was a pretty little trinket, with very complex programming, obviously, but he wasn’t very happy about this modification. He wasn’t very happy about this secret admirer influencing Optronix so much with a simple if expensive gift…

Gesturing he started walking again, brooding over the enigma. What still annoyed him the most was how the gifts were delivered… with all the guards it should have been impossible. The university had a state of the art security system as well as guards too.

Optronix didn’t catch his uncle’s disapproving look, but it was hard to miss Scorponok’s affronted hiss as he moved to follow Ratbat, especially when the drone decided that it was an excellent time to claw its way up onto his shoulder and helm, panels shifting and spreading threateningly. While he tried to pull the distressed creature from its perch, to little success, Optronix only absently followed after his uncle, being much too busy with the aforementioned task and looking for whatever had set the drone off.

“Geez, Scorp, so not helping with this…” he groaned a moment later as he detached the kneading claws from his cranial unit and pulled the little one back to his chest. “What’s up with you all of a sudden?”

The skimmer was ready for them, of course, and Ratbat settled into the soft cushions while studiously ignoring his nephew’s problems with his drone. Whatever had made the thing react it was up to Optronix to keep it under control; after all he was the one who wanted to keep it.

“I suppose the modification might help with its manners too?”

“There’s nothing wrong with Scorponok’s manners!” the red and blue youngling said defensively. “Something’s just got him spooked is all…” But they were safe in the skimmer and the drone was still pretty peeved with… something. Whatever it was, Optronix hoped his drone calmed down soon!

“I suppose…” Ratbat ignored the little thing’s antics and focused back on his charge. Optronix was a handsome young mech, still more of a youngling then he probably liked to admit. He supposed he was attractive too, though personally he had always liked smaller mechs better… Yes, well… Between his looks and his station Optronix was an attractive prize for any Iaconian. But for a Kaonite? If Optronix mated one he would lose his land in Iacon – not his title but his lands. They would go back to Ratbat as the only relative he had left.

After a couple breems of consistent reassuring and petting, Scorponok finally calmed down and curled up against him again, flat faceplates pressed into his neck joint with a tired clicking. Optronix only wished he knew what had gotten it so riled…

He glanced back up at Ratbat, and a frown to match his uncle’s crossed his features. “Watcha thinking about? You don’t look too happy about it…”

“Kaonites… the trade negotiations.” Optronix was likely to buy that, and it wasn’t completely untrue. Ratbat huffed. Contemplating the possible attractiveness of his nephew wasn’t a pleasant act… It didn’t help that he hadn’t had a partner for anything but work since he attained his rank of High Scholar. There had been no time. He had had to cement his alliances… He studiously ignored that all those things were well in the past and that he could, if he wanted to, take a lover or even a mate now. 

“I want them over with.”

“Ah,” Optronix vocalized softly, sympathetic to the older mech’s plight. He tried for a reassuring smile. “Well, with any luck, it will be over soon! And maybe you can take a short vacation or something…”

“What would I do with a vacation? No, but there is a lot that needs to be taken care of at my estate, and yours too… a little time to take care of that…” Ratbat sent his charge a sardonic glance, before thinking about a few of the more relaxing things he had waiting for him. He enjoyed taking care of both estates, enjoyed knowing that Optronix would be taking over someday in the not too distant future. Maybe have littles soon too. Yes, he would very much enjoy becoming a grand-uncle…

“Those things can wait a few orns! It’s not like you don’t have underlings you can trust to delegate things to while you, I dunno, go see Praxus again or something. When was the last time you were there? Not since before… Not since I was little. Right? I bet it would be nice to visit again and see all the new additions to the gardens!” Optronix grinned hopefully. Maybe if he could talk Ratbat into going, he would get to go, too! And then he could have something else to talk to Omega Alpha about…

Praxus? Well, it was a long time since he had seen that city-state or Helix… But he didn’t have time for an unfunded journey. He could make the time, of course, but that would just be frivolous, neglecting his duties. Ratbat’s optics were distant as he thought the suggestion over. 

“Hm, it is not something I can decide on now. Who is to say that the negotiations are the end of this after all?” Truly, Ratbat did not know how that sentence would come back to haunt him.

“I suppose you’re right,” Optronix relented, though not very willingly. He wanted Ratbat to take a break for a little while, enjoy something aside from sitting behind a desk! “But I still thing you should get out and do something once in a while. Going to fancy dinners and stuff hardly counts.”

“I enjoy such things.” Ratbat permitted himself a small smile; he was well aware how much Optronix despised fancy anythings. It was not always pleasant to participate in them but Ratbat did enjoy them, treating them like the game of cyberwolves verses turbofoxes that they were. 

“Now, I have time to come and see the Corax and a few other things, and then I must get back to my office.” The skimmer stopped, as if on cue, and the door was opened a moment later.

Optronix made a face at the prospect of _enjoying_ those things, but let Ratbat have his beliefs. Maybe being old made him senile or something…

He bounced up, though, when the skimmer stopped, quite excited to be able to show off his gifts. “Well, let’s go then! I’ve got to make the best of what time I _do_ have with you, after all!”

Optronix had no sense of decorum when he was excited. Ratbat shook his head but let it slip this time… there was no one to see them, and should a reporter get a shot? Well what then, he had been out with his nephew and that was all. A young noble that was still young enough to leave form and conduct behind him if he wished it. There was no need to be hard on Optronix about it.

The red and blue noble walked through the dorm building to his rooms without stopping even to greet mechs he knew; he got to see and talk to them all the time! But the prospect of showing Ratbat the things that had made him so happy in recent orns and maybe swaying the mech’s opinion a little about his circumstances, were by far the more important thing. 

He entered his quarters and released Scorponok to go and do as it pleased, and wasn’t at all surprised when it went to curl up in its new favorite place around the base of the growing crystal even as he led Ratbat to the glowing shard.

“It is stunning…” Ratbat hesitated a little with the praise, uncomfortably aware that it wasn’t possible to fake the unique floating property of the rarer Corax crystals. This one had a small, nest-like base and a few microns above it a perfectly shaped oval shard floated. And it was a deep, deep red… very beautiful.

“Yeah,” Optronix agreed with a happy sigh. “Did I tell you I’m going to donate some to the public gardens after I’ve put it in my estate? And Percy wants a sample, too… And I bet it would look good in that one corner in your garden, too, if you wanted some of it. You know, with the pretty yellow ones that look like twinkling stars?”

“You mentioned something of it.” But he hadn’t quite believed that someone, even a serious suitor, would send such a fortune to a young minor noble. Ratbat wasn’t sure how he felt about being wrong. On one hand, it was never bad to bond into riches, not that Optronix lacked anything, minor noble or not, but on the other hand such riches suggested a major noble behind them. If it was a major noble of another city-state… No, there were so many factors to this and it was only a handful of them he liked. 

“I would be honored to have a shard; it would indeed be beautiful with the star crystals.”

Optronix smiled as he checked to ensure the crystal’s health. “I’m glad you think so. I mean, it would look good just about anywhere, being the type of crystal it is, but I wanted it to go somewhere especially well-suited in your garden.”

“Crystals need a beautiful setting.” The line was noncommittal but still very true and serious. Ratbat wasn’t personally good at gardening but he had a very good crystal tender in his employment. He did enjoy gardens, enjoyed their calm and the beauty one found in them.

Optronix made a soft sound of agreement, petting Scorponok, and then turned his attention to other matters. “So, um… Do you still have time to see my game set? A-and maybe a couple of other things?” Not his very newest gift, no, but he doubted Ratbat would complain even if he did know of the newest one. And he certainly wouldn’t mention what the letter had said about the crystal!

“Yes, you have told me so much about it, it would be a shame not to see it.” Ratbat pounced on the opportunity, wanting to get away from the disturbing presence of the beautiful Corax. It made him think things that he really did not want to contemplate. 

“It is in your front room?” It was, he had already seen it though not actually looked at it.

“Yes, sir,” the younger mech answered. He led the way back to the front room and over to the set with an excited bounce in his step. The game was easily one of his favorite gifts to date, and one that Ratbat would surely approve of as well, which did make a difference…

It was a complete set, and a hand crafted one. Often, a mech would only own one side of the games pieces, meeting up with friends at a café or something to borrow a public game table. Only nobles, and certain semi noble traders, had the money and space needed for the full game. It was almost dominating the relatively spacious living room of Optronix’ dorm apartment, it’s dark colors clearly marking it as not made in Iacon. 

“It is a very fine game set… what is it made of?” Ratbat refrained from touching it though he was sure it was clear he wanted to. He hadn’t been invited to do so yet.

“Uh…” 

That was a good question. Optronix rubbed his helm a little sheepishly as he examined the set a little closer. Usually, he just cared about playing, not about the price or quality or substance of the set… “I don’t know? Some type of stone, I think. Omega Alpha seems fond of organic things, or at least fond of gifting them.”

“It is a fine gift.” And again an expensive one, one that showed off all the qualities of this stranger that apparently wanted his nephew so very badly. Ratbat didn’t growl but he wanted to. Optronix was too young for this! He had no way to discern if it was tricks or something else… much too young. 

“It is an odd thing to like… but beautiful nevertheless.”

“Yeah. You can touch it. The texture is so weird compared to the metal sets that I’m used to…” Optronix chuckled. “But I like it, you know? After getting used to it, I mean.”

Ratbat indulged both himself and his nephew by taking one of the larger game pieces. It was cool and silky smooth, indeed a strange texture and indicative of superb craftsmechship. 

“Very fine details… do you still play the Turbofox side?” Putting down the black cyberwolf piece, he picked up one of the smaller of the red pieces. He found it just as smooth and detailed as the other.

“Most of the time, yeah. Elita’s gotten me to switch sides a few times, for practice, but Turbofox is still my preference.” The noble nodded and picked up a piece himself, one of the trackers his side offered, and smiled at the hunched position of it, almost as though it was examining some little clue it had found. The set was truly of fine craftsmechship; all the pieces were so expressive! 

Optronix set down the piece in its original position and busied himself with doing the same for the others in the hopes of appearing nonchalant as he asked, “When was the last time you played, uncle?”

“I believe… it has been a little over a groon, Skater has been busy shuttling back and forth – we haven’t had time to finish our latest game.” Ratbat’s dermas pulled into a displeased frown. He disliked having to send his personal assistant out all over the place like this but the delicate nature of this negotiation left him with little choice. 

“You know I don’t like to start another when I haven’t finished the old one…” Not entirely true. Had it been anyone but Skater…

“Aah… That sucks! I’m sure you’ll both be happy when negotiations are over with then, huh? A good game always relaxes you, and I know how he worries besides.” Optronix remembered the assistant quite clearly. He was always finding something to fret over quietly until it was just so. Ratbat always seemed to be at the top of his list of concerns… “You don’t even have time to play over transmission, do you? You could move the pieces for him or something and it wouldn’t be quite the same, but it would give you time to clear your processors…”

“I don’t have time for such frivolous use of comm. time. And no, it would not be the same…” Ratbat tried to sound affronted but mostly it just came out a little wistful. He really disliked not having his personal assistant with him. Skater was the only mech, aside from the estate servants and Optronix, that had been with him for more than a few vorn. He was loyal and proper, of noble sparking… Yes, the perfect assistant.

“Well, where there’s a will, there’s a way. And the negotiations can’t go on forever…” Optronix shrugged, putting the last of the pieces in their starting positions. “When will you be able to visit next, uncle? I… I have a public exam for my hand-to-hand combat class coming up at the end of the groon… I would like it if you could come if you have time. I know you’re busy and you don’t really like it, but it would mean a lot to me.”

“Hm…” The noncommittal answer soured a little at the mention of Optronix weapons training. He had no wish to encourage his nephew in such foolishness… and yet. It was very seldom that the youngling ever asked him for something, not because he feared a negative answer but because he had always respected that he was a busy mech, as they had discussed numerous times. Ratbat huffed, dermas pulled into a frown again. 

“I suppose I could make the time…”

“Really?” Optronix hadn’t fully expected Ratbat to be able to, or really want to enough to try. He knew how the mech felt about it acutely, but he just wanted to show how good he had gotten… “I, I’ll make sure a formal invitation gets sent to you. Maybe, if you can get afford the time away, we could make a day of it? I bet Percy would like to see you again too. We could go somewhere…” That was really pushing it, but hey, it was worth a try, right?

“It will depend on the negotiations.” Ratbat was aware that he was almost snapping, but he couldn’t help it. When it came to Optronix’ weapons training he felt a little bit like a bratty sparkling not getting his way. He had given the young mech every opportunity to excel in scholastic disciplines and yet he chose to waste time on playing with deadly weapons. 

“I suppose I must leave… I have an early light cycle before me.” And no Skater to make sure everything is perfect. Would nothing conform to his wishes at this point in time?

“I’ll pray for the best, then,” Optronix said, unaffected by the High Scholar’s less than accepting attitude. Even if he _couldn’t_ make it, at least he hadn’t outright said no… Distinctly unsure of how welcome the gesture would be, Optronix nevertheless hugged his uncle briefly before hastily moving toward the door, his shoulders hunched. “It… really was good to see you, uncle. Hopefully next time, we’ll be able to do something more than have some energon together.”

So affectionate… Ratbat huffed, one hand finding a rest on Optronix’s hunched left shoulder for a brief moment. Affection was for private places though, for the home… 

“It is always good to see you, nephew, I will see if I can find the time to attend this exam of yours… do remember to send a formal invitation?”

Optronix smiled, the gesture small but still there, and nodded as he opened the door for the older mech. “I’ll make sure it reaches you. I’ll send a copy to Skater, too, to make sure it reaches you regardless of the monstrous piles of mail I’m sure you’ve accumulated in his absence…”

“Wise precaution. I hope he will be back soon. These negotiations are… Yes, well.” Ratbat nodded and gave his charge as much of a smile as he ever gave anyone. Nothing was final yet, but no matter what did go though in the treaty it would not touch them. Yes, he was sure of that much, the only ‘threat’ to Optronix was this inexplicable ‘secret admirer’.

“Good recharge, Optronix. I will see you soon.” With that he left, walking the corridors of the University but seeing nothing. That was what he paid his chassis guards for after all, so that he could think.

Optronix closed the door once his uncle was out of sight and moved back into the berth room so he could sprawl himself over his berth. All things considered, he thought, that had gone relatively painlessly… At the very least, it could have gone much, much worse! Now there was nothing in the way of gleefully anticipating the next letter from Omega Alpha, _and_ he had an optimistic ‘maybe’ from his guardian about coming to one of his demonstrations. That was a feat worth sharing with the world, and he did just that after a moment of consideration. Perceptor could surely use a break from whatever he was working on at the moment…

* * *

He had had to skip archery twice to get the modification done, but it was worth it, in the young noble’s opinion, especially when Scorponok spent the entire first orn in his new hold chirping and nuzzling affectionately against him. 

By the time he sat down to write the letter, it had been nearly four orns since the letter arrived and Optronix had to sit for a while and think, reorganizing his thoughts until he thought the letter could be somewhat coherent.

‘Dear Omega Alpha,

‘If anyone knew about that tradition, they didn’t mention it; I just took it as a friendly gift because that seemed to be the way you meant it. It would be very nice to see Vos’ gardens if they can even compare to Praxus’ gardens as you say, however. Properly made crystal gardens are always a treat to look at… I have a garden of my own back home, but it’s small and not much to look at since I am no expert crystal cultivator. Perhaps this one will help in brightening it up the next time I am able to return to it? And I think I will donate a fractal or two to Iacon’s gardens, now that you mention it. I mentioned it to Ratbat and he seemed to approve of the idea, too... They would undoubtedly be pleased to add to their already vast collection, as they always are when someone brings them a new crystal or mineral.

‘I went and got those modifications right away and Scorponok is a lot better now, I think. My instructors accepted it quite easily, though I don’t know if that’s because Ambassador Soundwave was able to contact them already or not. My only somewhat complaints are that Scorponok is near-terminally curious and has a bad habit of trying to peek over other mech’s shoulders in class to see what they’re doing and that he’s taken off with more than his fair share of styluses. And he saw a turbofox the other orn on one of our drills for weapons handling and has become Kup and Ironhide’s new best friend because by the time the drill was over, we were all so worn out from trying to keep Scorponok away from the turbofox that we could hardly move – he took us through the entire training course! I hadn’t realized he had quite so much energy…

‘I won’t say a word to Ironhide about the gift though, I promise, despite that we seem to be becoming friends. I’m sure he’ll be very happy to have anything you would gift him with.

‘Our system of inheritance isn’t quite like yours. We are made to observe and told the importance of each job performed, but only a few will make their successors do as you Kaonites do. My creators were believers of the former method, but I took interest in some of the tasks performed on our estate and asked the workers to teach them to me. Energon making and serving were fun, but cleaning up afterwards was not… After they passed away, High Scholar Ratbat started taking care of me and has done much to prevent me from doing anything but studying. I know he hopes that I will ‘see reason’ and become High Scholar in his place one day, so he feels that written knowledge is all I need to know right now. I sometimes wonder why he does not look for someone with more interest in it than I, but I have never asked.

‘I find myself very happy you can’t see me right now, I’m not ashamed to admit. Most people don’t just come out and, you know… _say_ stuff like that. I’m all flustered now! I guess my overactive imagination struck again with the getting stuck thing. I just thought, um, when you, you know, grind together, you might get interlocked… 

‘You don’t really think Elita would do that, do you? She’s so sweet! … Gah. I’m stuffing her in a box and shipping her across the galaxy! The little twit, she’s far too conniving for her own good…

‘Perceptor says he’s ‘just not interested in finding a mate, and putting wings on them won’t change that’. I think he might be a little cranky, to be honest. He’s got some rather persistent would-be suitors. Like this one a couple of orns ago, I guess he’s just a student? Anyway, he went out and spent loads of credits on, like, expensive energon goodies and high grade and _he didn’t even bother to research what flavors Perceptior liked beforehand_. Not to mention which made him sick! Poor Percy, he was purging for cycles… Ratchet about blew a gasket ranting about it since he was on duty that night cycle. Some of the other suitors are actually really nice, intelligent, thoughtful mechs, don’t get me wrong. Perceptor just doesn’t seem to be attracted to any of them…

‘I’m really looking forward to Ambassador Soundwave’s lectures though. I feel bad that I don’t know all that much about Scorponok’s model and even with the help you sent I feel like I’m still so very far behind… I’m sure he does want to be with his own kind though; even now, he asks me to read about whatever you write regarding your own pet whenever he can get his mandible on the pad. I have a feeling another toy will be going back to you with this letter, too. He keeps bringing one of his blocks over to me.

‘I told Ratchet what you said, but he’s insistent on not knowing what I’m talking about. Speaking of him though, guess what he did yesterday? We went out to Central Square to hang out and some big, black mech came up and started talking to Wheeljack, right? Ratchet let it go until the mech started rubbing ‘Jack’s arm and then he just, like, flipped _out_. Punched the poor mech right in the face mask! Wheeljack was horrified and embarrassed but, oddly enough, he didn’t even get mad at Ratchet for doing it. Even defended him to the guards saying that Ratchet hadn’t meant to react like that and stuff so the guards let him off with a warning and the black mech didn’t press charges or anything. And then ‘Jack and Ratchet kinda cuddled together, which was real sweet, but by the time we got back to the dorms, Ratchet wasn’t even _touching_ ‘Jack. Hardly said good-night to any of us! One can only hope Ratch’ is starting to see that ‘Jack _does_ have other options so he’ll make a fragging move already…

‘Thank you for the energy blades, too. Ironhide about tripped over himself in his excitement when he saw them. And I understand that you deviated from the norm with this letter, and I really do appreciate it. I’m actually surprised you have been able to keep up with this schedule… I’m sure you’re very busy and it makes me happy that you would make so much time for me.

‘I guess I should wrap it up here, studying for those tests isn’t going to do itself… Um, when I go to Crystal City, I’m going to take some pictures… Would it be appropriate if I sent some to you? You’re always sending me things, and I know it’s not nearly as nice as the things you’ve sent, but Crystal City is supposed to be beautiful so… 

‘I hope you’re still doing well, and I can’t wait to hear from you again!

‘Sincerely, Optronix’

* * *

The block did end up going with the letter, and Optronix wondered, as he settled down for the night with Scorponok curled up around another ball on his chest, what Perceptor would think of all the toys he had given to Scorponok being sent to some far-away pet. He’d probably just ‘hum’ thoughtfully and say, “Interesting…” and make a… note of… it…


	9. Meetings

Blaster fiddled with the sound setting on his sonic-guitar and winced when it produced a less than savory sound, hastily silencing the instrument. His band mates glared at him and he ducked his head a little, quickly moving the settings back to their original format. He was really nervous since this was the first concert since his transfer from Crystal City University and there were no other Kalisians at the Iaconian University… It was pretty obvious that the Iaconians in this band did not know what to make of him. And to top it all off, it was just his luck that his transfer should clash with an ambassador’s visit! 

Huffing, he carefully tapped out the notes of the Iacon anthem and reassured himself that he wouldn’t play badly just because it was a new song. It wasn’t so bad, he told himself. He would get to see a Kaonite again… He had seen one when in Simfur with his Creator, but had been so little that all he could remember was a menacing shadow with a kind voice and the best energon candy _ever_! Suddenly, the sound of shuffling grew and he guessed that all the students in the hall had risen to greet the ambassador. It would be only moments now…

* * *

There were very few times in his memory that Soundwave could remember when he was more grateful for his mask than now. Although he was honored to have been invited to such a gathering as this showing of talents, it was impossible to not smile in amusement at the… well, the wide range of emotions the students displayed as he was led down the main aisle to his seat in the front. Awe, curiosity, fear of his intimidating form, respect for his status and his city-state, and even some arousal tingled his sensory net. It was tempting to focus on those wavelengths just to see what kind of imagination these younglings held. He refrained though, merely nodding passively to a couple of students that had the courage to look him in the optics (or, well, visor, but still) and then thank his guide as he settled into the gestured-to seat in the front row, in what was probably one of the best seats in the audience hall. He was close enough to feel the nervous excitement from those hidden behind the stage curtains, and even catch a few stray thoughts of music notes as they hurried to put the last touches on their performances. As the curtains parted for the first show, the dark blue mech didn’t even think as he pressed the record button on his tape deck – Sixshot couldn’t be here, but there were other ways to share his experiences with the six-changer.

Feeling sick to his tanks, the Kalisian was for once grateful that he hadn’t been chosen to sing; at least playing the sonic-guitar meant that he was to the side and relative back of the orchestra. He had a good view of the hall but was relatively hidden away, which helped him feel less awkward in this foreign place. As soon as the curtain was drawn, he gasped inaudibly and had to clamp down on a wave of nausea and curiosity. The ambassador, whom his optics had been immediately drawn to, was much bigger than his sparkling imagination had painted the Kaonites to be. Big and strong and the most pretty dark blue and silvery white… belatedly, Blaster remembered that he was there to perform, and perform well. Shifting his optics to the lead singer he forced his nausea back and let the music soothe him, distract him from his irrational response to the sight of the mech for whom they were performing. 

Soundwave hummed, low and appreciative, as the band played. Oh, they did sound nice… Not a single missed or mistaken note, which was even more pleasing, although a couple of them did look quite nervous throughout the piece. He knew part of that nervousness came from his presence, could feel it in each of their thoughts, but they proved that they were quite capable despite it so Soundwave didn’t let the emotion bother him. He would have to remember to mention their skills to his lord upon his return to Kaon. Perhaps Lord Megatron would be interested in asking after a session for himself, and then they would know the true depths of their determination and skill…

Shaking himself from his thoughts before they could wander off with him, the Kaonite decided to busy himself with picking out each instrument being played, and then finding the one playing it. One in particular stuck out in his search, a red and orange mech that looked like he was from Crystal City or possibly Kalis that was playing the sonic-guitar, and the ambassador took a moment to puzzle out his alt mode then smiled behind his mask when he recognized the tape deck configuration. The mech probably didn’t have any cassettes, but with his rather lovely features, it wouldn’t be too hard for him to acquire some once he came of age…

The bulk of the concert went well, thankfully, with no disasters to speak of. After Blaster’s third and last time on stage, he felt that he could relax. There were only three numbers left and then they could all relax and it really wasn’t like anything could go wrong now! The moment he had thought this someone stuck his head into the sound proof rehearsal room and frantically waved at them all to come outside. 

Apparently disaster could strike at a moment’s notice after all. As per tradition, the lead singer had learned a Kaonite song, which was to be performed as the next to last number… Only, the lead singer had managed to step off the stage stair and twisted his ankle wires painfully. He could sing, yes, but it would not be a very convincing solo, what with the singer supported by crutches or sitting down and the pain would be obvious in his voice. And considering that he had chosen a rather cheerful song that would be tantamount to an insult! 

As it happened, his secondary had done the unforgivable and not actually managed to learn the song or even study another one so the concert manager, also the music faculties head professor, was questioning everyone if they had maybe, secretly, studied the song. When they got to Blaster he said no and then, very reluctantly, offered the knowledge that he did actually know a Kaonite song. 

Which was why he was here feeling sicker than ever and more or less staring right at the ambassador. He had never preformed this song at all… never even thought about it. His Creator had taught it to him as an example of what different cultures found beautiful or touching, but that had been the end of it for him. Still, he sang without reservation, letting the words take his emotions and do as they wished and hoped it would be enough. 

“Where to find/Glory lost/offering to the triad./Lost glory, regained?/Prima ~ Teach us how to hunt it/ Primus ~ Teach us…”

A warm ache bloomed in the Kaonite’s spark as the singer’s soft, rich voice filled his audio receptors with familiar words and intonations. It did not surprise him much that the transfer student he had been paying attention to throughout the night – Blaster, he had learned – had such a lovely voice to accompany his instrument playing skills, but his vaguely biased opinion said it was undoubtedly even better since he was singing something Soundwave was so intimately familiar with. He watched avidly as the mech sang, taking in every minute shift in facial expression and every slight gesture with quiet relish. This was one part of the concert that he would willingly share with anyone.

As the red and orange mech’s singing slowly faded away a couple of breems later, the ambassador was one of the first to start applauding and the last to stop, and he kept optic contact with the mech throughout the entire thing. If they had not been in such a public place, he wouldn’t have minded removing his mask and visor so the other mech could see just how much his singing had affected him… The end of the exhibit was spectacular, but even so, his mind wandered to that young mech in particular, curious despite a small part of him insisting he wasn’t here for himself but for his lord. It couldn’t hurt to _talk_ to this Blaster person, anyway… 

It was an easy thing to get permission to go backstage and find the brightly colored tape deck, and when he did, he lightly brushed a hand over the mech’s elbow, speaking softly, “Excuse me.”

Blaster wasn’t quite sure how he had managed to get off the stage again, or how it could be he hadn’t gone into stasis lock yet. It had sure felt like he was about to several times during his performance, when he thought he couldn’t remember the words or felt as if his vocalizer was freezing up. Even now, almost three breems later, he was still shaking with reaction, and no little gratitude… The ambassador had not seemed to applaud out of simple politeness even if it had been impossible to read him. The thought was barely finished when he was touched and a strangely harmonic yet flat voice intruded on his already fragile calm. He yelped and almost jumped, whipping around and staring straight at a broad chest. With a distinctive spiky pattern to the plates… Oh, great Argentron! 

“Am…” He had to stop and force a reset of his vocalizer, because his own normally mellow and harmonized voice emerged as an unpleasant squeak. “Ambassador, sir!”

“Apologies,” Soundwave intoned, stepping back to give Blaster a bit of space and keeping a firm control on his amusement at the mech’s reaction to his presence. “Distress: unnecessary. Please relax.” 

Now, how was he to go about asking? He couldn’t very well ask to run off with the youngling; Blaster had duties and classes to attend to, he was sure. Well, offering his compliments was a good start to the conversation, so… The dark blue mech discreetly glanced around to make sure no one was close enough to listen in before looking back down at the student. 

“You have a very pleasant singing voice,” he said, voice as sincere as he could make it to someone who didn’t know the subtle fluctuations in his mostly monotone voice. “It was an honor to have you sing a song for Kaon, especially one so important to us.”

Relax!? Blaster poked at the concept and discarded it as ‘not happening’. It didn’t help that the harmonics of the ambassador’s voice triggered little shivers in his back struts and it definitely did not help that the song he had sung was apparently more than _just_ a teaching song as his Creator had told him it was. 

“I… I hope I did it justice. My Creator taught it to me when I was still a youngling.”

“You did,” Soundwave said with a firm nod. “You sang it beautifully. I only wish I had not been the only one here to hear you.” He had the recording, of course, but Blaster didn’t know and didn’t need to know that. It was still running but he would edit this part out as something for only his mate to see. 

“You are Blaster, correct?” he asked, more for pleasantries than because he wasn’t sure. No need to distress the mech further… “Are you doing anything presently? I would like to talk with you a breem or two longer but I understand if you have things to do.” 

That was a big compliment. Blaster felt faint again, not sure what to do with the praise or about it. It wasn’t like the ambassador was a mech to ignore, pit it wasn’t like any Kaonite was a mech to ignore. But what in the name of the Twins was such an important mech doing with him? 

“Yeah… um yes, sir, I am Blaster. I don’t have any classes for the rest of the orn.” The mech stood silent, presumably watching him, and the small red cassette player realized that it might be a good idea to actually show him to somewhere private. “Sorry, sir, there’s a rehearsal room back here – if you will follow me?” 

Turning his back on the ambassador felt risky but Blaster did it nonetheless at Soundwave’s nod. He remembered the touchy dispositions of the Simfurians, after all, and their customs stuck with him in relation to how he expected everyone else to be in regards to courtesy. They had expected courtesy from all adults, and greatly disapproved of having someone turn their back on them without familiarity firmly in place between them… sparklings and younglings were simply told why not to do it again, at least the first time. “The… mm, the door is thick because all the rehearsal rooms are soundproof, sir. It makes it easier for everyone to practice.”

Soundwave followed quietly, inwardly pleased that Blaster was willing to be in private with him as he moved past the doorway so it could close. It was more than he had expected; he knew he was intimidating in appearance and mannerisms to anyone who wasn’t used to Kaonites. 

“Very wise,” he commented as he settled himself in one of the nearby chairs since just standing around seemed to make his host uncomfortable. Deciding it couldn’t hurt to divulge a little personal information, the dark blue mech added, “My recording studio is like that as well. I would probably be in there right now, actually, if Lord Megatron had not sent my companion and I here to see to some errands of his.”

“You sing!?” Blaster immediately flinched and hung his head. “I’m sorry, sir, I-I didn’t mean to imply… a-anything.” He really should learn to engage that processor-vocalizer filter he was presumably created with. His Creators had certainly always known what to say and when to say it… “I don’t always… I have a habit of saying what I think and, I guess I could never be an ambassador or diplomat… Please, don’t be angry?”

“Do not apologize for something you have not done wrong,” Soundwave instinctively chastised, much as he would have done to one of his own subordinates, and immediately regretted it because of how Blaster flinched. This mech was not used to the strict, blunt ways of Kaon; he had to remember not to treat him in such a way. 

“I… do not share that knowledge with the world at large, so it comes as no surprise that you wouldn’t think or know it. That is nothing to be sorry for,” he tried again, tone gentle, “But yes, I do sing. I also play a wide array of instruments.” Gesturing to the chair across from him, Soundwave added, “Perhaps it would help to ease your tension if you thought of me as just another person instead of a foreign ambassador. You may, if it helps. I do not get easily offended and really wouldn’t mind if you were to just call me by my designation instead of ‘sir’ or ‘ambassador’ or whatever other title you might come up with while we are in private like this.”

Swallowing nervously, Blaster sat down and wondered if he actually could manage to get the ambassador’s name out. “I… think it might help if I knew what you wanted to talk to me about, sir?” That was probably both too direct and rude like all Pit, but really! Who was he to get this kind of special attention; all he had done was sing a song. “Not that I am ungrateful…it’s just, the last time I saw a Kaonite I was just old enough to be with my Creator at Simfur, my Carrier was back home in Kalis.”

Ah… From Kalis then. Soundwave hesitated briefly, unsure if it would be overwhelming for the young mech for him to be so… well, intimate with him, but ultimately decided it was safe to remove his mask and visor and did so. “Would you believe me if I said I just wanted to talk, like I said earlier? I could give you any number of reasons, one of which being the one I already stated – I really did enjoy your singing and wished to express that to you more exclusively,” he said. “Or I could say that I wanted to see how you’re adapting to Iacon, since it’s rather obvious that you haven’t been here long… Being my Lord Megatron’s ambassador, I go to foreign places all the time and at first, I was at unease being around the different cultures and peoples outside my own city-state. Do any of those answers satisfy you?” He had many more. The fact that Blaster was a tape deck, or that Sixshot would want to know a little about the mech when Soundwave asked… _If_ he asked. It was a little too soon to decide if there was anything there to pursue, and he had to get Blaster to relax before anything else regardless.

“I am not sure… I’m just one mech, no matter how well I sing.” Blaster was fascinated by the face that had been so thoroughly hidden, it was beautiful but not any kind of soft beauty like his own. Or at least people had told him that he was beautiful, pretty, with his slightly rounded facial features. “I have been here for all of seven orns, just enough time to be dragged into this performance. And to… to notice that there is a lot of political furor about you and your kinsmech. Why are you here?” The ambassador had said he wasn’t easily offended, and he could just choose not the answer…

Typical youngling, so curious… “Well, I didn’t have any particular objective aside from letting you know how much I enjoyed your performance. All of your performances, really,” he replied. “As for why I’m here… I’m unsure of how much to say before I’m saying too much. The story is that we’re here on official business, confidential but non-threatening. Which is true, in a way… If you can keep a secret – and I’ll know if you don’t, believe me – I can tell you a little bit, if you really want to know.” Perhaps it was a bit soon to be giving away such information, but Soundwave was fast growing fond of this mech, utterly captivated by the shy way he moved and spoke and the warm, oh-so-welcoming wavelengths of his processor. Once he got him to open up, in multiple ways, Soundwave had no doubt that Blaster could be _very_ fun. He was almost positive that his mate would agree…

“I can keep a secret… but I am not sure you should tell me anything anyway. I mean aside from me being curious as all pit, I just don’t have anything to give in return for such trust.” Blaster was even more curious now, and sort of cursed himself for asking in the first place. At the same time he was intrigued by the answer he had gotten. 

“You’re spending time with me that you really are not obligated to, and that has made me… charitable,” Soundwave said, amused. Curiosity rolled off of the young mech in waves, thick and heavy with anticipation that the dark blue Kaonite was tempted to coax into anticipation for entirely different things… Primus, the last mech to make him heady off of emotions like this had been Sixshot! It was a good thing the recording was still going, he wanted to let his mate experience every second of this.

“Well then, what do you mean by ‘I’ll know’?” Reaching up, the Kalsian clicked off his visor, relocating it to his subspace without thinking – he only used it when performing to keep from being blinded by the lights on the stage.

Soundwave smiled. “How I will know… well, that’s a secret I will keep to myself for now.” No need to share his telepathic abilities just yet.

He was pleasantly surprised when the visor came off though, revealing the exotically curved silver optics that clearly labeled Blaster as a Kalisian, and a softer smile graced his features before he could stop it, so the ambassador just left it as he summarized his story mentally before presenting it. “Lord Megatron bid Barricade and myself to come here and acquire information about a particular mech for him. Someone the oracle told him is to be his life mate. I cannot tell you who, but he’s turned out to be quite… charming, and most amusing for my lord.” Soundwave’s smile widened at the thought of the recordings Barricade had saved for him sitting at home with Sixshot. “We have not been entirely honest with your heads of state, but there is really no harm in going in our master’s stead to see that his bonded-to-be is… properly taken care of until such time as Lord Megatron can come to claim him.”

The smile only made the large Kaonite more attractive and Blaster felt extremely self-conscious, very aware that he had just been on stage for several breems and back stage even longer. He was probably grimy and sticky to look at up close, he certainly felt both grimy and sticky… and glitter wax was so tacky when seen up close too even if it looked good under the stage lights. 

“So… you’re sort of both keeping an optic on the Intended and making sure that your Lord’s mate can return to visit after he has been claimed?” That made a lot of sense, especially since Kaon and Iacon had a history of not quite open enmity in their collective past. “It’s a very romantic gesture…” He was almost envious – okay so he _was_ envious… even if he didn’t think he could stand living permanently in one place, not for vorns to come at least.

“Essentially, yes. More so, we are making sure that he is not hindered in his desires. I do not mean to sound rude, but his guardian is rather restricting in ways he does not quite have the right to be,” Soundwave explained, trying to remain polite about High Scholar Ratbat even though Blaster would have no clue who he was talking about. Not to mention trying not to laugh about how self-conscious the other tape deck was being over his appearance… “Our efforts aid our lord’s efforts in making his Intended happy without said Intended getting into trouble. It’s rather fun, I am not ashamed to admit.” It was surprising no one had come to check on them yet. Surely someone had noticed their revered guest had disappeared, or that one of the performers was not out celebrating a job well done with everyone else?

“It’s… it seems that your current Warlord is a very wise mech, I wish I could…” Blaster cut himself off and looked down at his hands. Only very few of his people had ever been in Kaon and they had all been claimed mates, sworn to keep quiet about their new home. All that ever came out of Kaon was songs they had allowed for. Still, it wasn’t very polite to cut off like that! And Kaon wasn’t the only city-state enforcing such secrecy; Vos was like that too and… “I wish I could see Kaon one day. The songs about it make it seem beautiful and wild.” 

The door was opened then, as knocking would be useless, and the concert manager came in looking less then pleased at the tableau he found. Blaster jumped to his feet and glanced nervously at the stormy faceplates before looking at his peds. “I… I’m very thankful that you liked my performance, Ambassador, sir!” he said, bowing respectfully before he hurried out, feeling awkward and dirty… and very confused.

Soundwave didn’t get a chance to reply, didn’t get much of a chance to do anything but snap his visor and mask back in place before the door was opened and Blaster was back to the overly polite, respectful mannerisms and rushing out under the glare of his manager. It really was too bad… But at least he knew it would be a little easier to convince Blaster if things turned out the way he was currently imagining them! He stood and inclined his head politely to the concert manager. 

“Blaster: not to blame. Request to speak in private: mine,” he said firmly. He didn’t want to get the youngling in trouble, and it _was_ the truth. The mech only seemed vaguely put out that he didn’t have any grounds for yelling at someone so Soundwave excused himself and left, only pausing a moment to watch Blaster interact with his fellow classmates before heading back to the hotel room he had been given for the duration of his stay so that he could send his recording to Sixshot and an edited version to Megatron.

* * *

Settling in front of the vid-phone screen, Sixshot refrained from grumbling aloud. He disliked communicating like this, especially with his bonded, and only did it because Soundwave had been away for so long. Besides, it was best not to scare his little page into deactivation – the youngling acted as if he was one pede step from deactivation already! They all started out like that, terrified of the sixchanger and awed at a mech that made their Warlord look small. Quite a few of them ended up being envious of Soundwave, too. They never did seem to lose the awe though… 

The screen flickered to life and Sixshot retracted his visor and mask, reaching out to touch the image before him, gentle smile curving his dermas and showing off the fangs his mate so loved. 

“Hello, beloved.”

Soundwave mimicked his mate, leaning forward as he retracted his visor and mask and touching the screen. 

“My love,” he murmured happily in reply. It was a poor substitute, but just seeing his bonded’s smile and warm optics made the dark blue mech feel a little better about their long separation. “I miss you so much, Sixshot,” he sighed, but not entirely unhappily. He had quite a bit of good news for his lover! But first… “How have you been?”

“I miss you too… and my mood is foul as always when you are not here to keep me happy.” Casting a glance at his rigid page he chuckled lightly. “I got a new page. He had excellent marks at the academy…” The youngling visibly straightened, making his smile widen. “That recording that you sent me was wonderful… Now tell me, beloved, what is on that wicked processor of yours?”

“Many things, most of them not appropriate for the public to hear,” Soundwave replied automatically and sincerely, a somewhat lustier smile gracing his features briefly before he changed the topic, wanting to draw out the suspense a little longer even though Sixshot undoubtedly had an idea of what he was thinking already. 

“Oh? Should I dismiss the page…?” Sixshot was only teasing; they had tried that particular thing only once. While it was physically satisfying it had left them both even hungrier for each other, making their separation something more torture then a simple ache. 

Soundwave chuckled and shook his head before frowning a little bit. “A new page? What happened to the old one?” Not that he had particularly _liked_ the old one. He had been trying to get a little _too_ close to things that were not within his rights to have. Namely, Sixshot. 

“What happened to him? Sweetspark, you forget the weirdest things! He graduated, passed his latest test and is employed at Telsa.” Far, far, far away from them so he could get over his infatuation! Much as the need for a third was growing with every vorn, Sixshot was not so desperate as to try and take someone so unsuited for them both.

“Oh, yes… Well, good for him.” How had he forgotten that? He hadn’t been away for _that_ long… Soundwave shrugged a little, pushing away his musings. 

“Anyway, I doubt anyone has contacted you yet, but I have some good news regarding this wretched separation. Lord Megatron wishes me to come back with his chosen’s letter this time so that we may meet and discuss the next course of action.” The ‘and let us have some time together’ went unsaid but he was sure his expression stated it quite clearly. Soundwave had never outright complained, but he was sure the Kaonite warlord had picked up on his increasing agitation from being away from his mate so long, and even a short reunion was better than none…

“You’re coming home?” Sixshot forgot all about annoying pages and hypothetical mates-to-be for a moment, leaning forward with joy etched in the very set of his face plates. He had been prepared for a long, long wait, knowing and accepting the importance of his mate’s mission. But if Megatron had said… It had been quite a strange thing to come to Kaon, a place that was ruled by only one mech and not a council of five like his former home, Tyger Pax, but this one leader gave so much, and this only further proved that fact. Megatron was a good mech, a compassionate ruler that seemed so very hard and unforgiving on the surface… “When?”

Smiling at his mate’s excitement, Soundwave once again touched the screen, stroking the outline of Sixshot’s faceplates. “Four orns from now. I’ll be home for only three, but Megatron expects the meeting to only take a joor or two, on the second orn. The rest of the time, I’m yours to do with as you please.” And oh, how he hoped Sixshot did _everything_ that pleased him, pleased them both… “And maybe we’ll be able to squeeze in a little time to discuss Blaster?” he added hopefully before the six changer could respond. “I… I want to show you, while the emotion is still fresh, how his mind felt for me… It was wonderful. No effort at all to sync with him, he didn’t even realize…”

Aah! He had thought that there was some reason for his mate’s interest in the little musician – something beyond his fabulous voice, of course. He had wondered about the conversation the two had had, wondered and been a little amused; it was not like Soundwave to corner someone like that. 

“Tell me about him? And yes I think we can arrange to have a little time for that… after I have properly welcomed you home!” This meant finding a sturdy, flat surface and reminding his mate whom he belonged to when all was said and done.

Properly being welcomed home… How Soundwave longed for that! “I will greatly look forward to being back in your arms, my love,” he said with a slightly flirty smile. “As for the youngling… I’m sure you noticed he’s a tape deck like myself, and quite a lovely model at that… His skills would complement my own greatly and his intelligence, such as I have gathered from his transcripts and surface thoughts at any rate, would serve for good conversation for us both. Beyond that, he’s young, curious and eager, and is undoubtedly going to feel his first longings for a cassette within the next couple of vorns. He is a little younger than we had been expecting, but I think you would like him if you got to meet him in person…” 

“That is a curious alt for a Kalisian… I wonder – no, never mind. It’s just that they usually go for flier or ground traveling alts, not stationary ones,” Sixshot mused aloud. Stationary alts were not a trait of his own people either and he had been rather shocked when Soundwave had explained the way tape decks procreated. He had not been against supplying his mate with cassette though, especially since he himself couldn’t carry as long as they didn’t have a third.

“It _is_ a peculiar thing, but you must admit that it suits him. Gives his waist and hips a lovely exotic curve…” Soundwave purred at the memory, optics darkening a little unintentionally. He could fantasize about the sweet little mech later though, or else they _would_ end up having to send Sixshot’s page away.

The way Blaster had felt was not so easily put into words, though the dark blue Kaonite did try, resting his elbows on the counter as he struggled for the right vernacular. “He… I felt much the same with him as I did when I first met you. I realize that isn’t something to base a relationship on like we did at first, but he was just… so welcoming. It was almost like coming home, to touch his mind, but he isn’t ready to settle. I feel like I should be there when he is so that we can snatch him up before anyone else gets the chance…” Soundwave trailed off, frustrated and wishing that he was already with his lover so he could just _show_ him. 

Sixshot had to admit that it was odd to hear his normally so controlled mate almost gush about a mech he had barely met. This ‘Blaster’ had to be something else, aside from his sexy chassis and the fact that he was a tape deck. Not to mention that voice! Soundwave was infecting him with his excitement, not that that was bad just… odd. “If you are that serious…”

“I’d like to think I’m quite serious about it, but it could just be because it’s so fresh in my mind still. I won’t rush into it though, for our sakes and for his.” Much as he wanted to just go find the red and orange mech and ravish him until he couldn’t even _think_ of saying anything but ‘yes’… Soundwave sighed and slumped a little bit. “I wish you were here. My mind would not be nearly so muddled in this regard if you were here to ground me…”

“Perhaps I should arrange to visit you in Iacon, then, beloved?” Sixshot asked. “You know that the Warlord will allow it; as I understand it, the negotiations are going well and such a gesture would show that Kaon is serious about this treaty.”

The tape deck perked up immediately, the idea taking root. Why hadn’t he thought of that? 

“That’s an excellent idea! I think you should bring it up with Lord Megatron immediately. Or I can? Maybe he’ll even let you just come back with me, even if it is short notice.” If there was no more separation, they could focus on other things, and Sixshot deserved a break, too! 

“I’m not exactly behind on my work… every time you travel the pad piles just seem to shrink magically.” Giving his mate a reassuring smile Sixshot reluctantly leaned back. He very much doubted that his mate was making a hasty decision like this without having something to base it on. It just wasn’t Soundwave to do something like that and he had obviously been hit hard… really hard.

“I will petition the Warlord then. If you do so too, I think I will be allowed to visit with you for a little… perhaps we should make it easy for the Iaconians? I could ‘easily’ be persuaded to hold a lecture or two at the university, about Tyger Pax or about the different laws of Cybertron’s city-states. I know they use my work in their curriculum.”

Soundwave hummed thoughtfully. “Yes, that could work. I would imagine it would be quite useful, and your efforts would not go to waste. The minds in Iacon’s University are keen and eager to learn,” he agreed after a moment of contemplation. “They would be honored to have you, I’ve no doubt, and the fact that I would openly trust my mate and sparklings around the Iaconians at large would do wonders for aiding our cause, and our Warlord’s plans, as you said.” With a grin filled with no small amount of fondness, he added, “And I would be absolutely thrilled to show you off, besides.” The mechs of Kaon had long since gotten used to Sixshot’s presence; it would be fun to show him off in another foreign country and see their awed gaze lingering on the massive mech once more. 

“By which you mean you would love to show you’re the only one with groping rights?” Fangs flashed in a feral, needy snarl before Sixshot reined in his need again. 

“Yes, that’s exactly what I mean. Although, there is now one I would possibly share with…” The dark blue Kaonite purred at the thought, optics flickering as he imagined Blaster on his mate – or better, his mate on Blaster, dominating him, making him writhe and moan and… Slaggit all.

“Doesn’t surprise me in the least. And if this Blaster is any good for us at all, I don’t think I’ll have it in me to complain if his pretty little hands somehow find their way onto my chassis,” Sixshot said, then glanced to the side and had to prop his head in his hand so that his page couldn’t see the grin on his faceplates. The poor youngling looked about to keel over from embarrassment induced overheating! Oh well, he had known what he was getting into by applying for this position… come to think of that!

“I’ll have to bring Roadblock, the page, with me… he is not yet able to take care of the minor tasks here and if I leave him people will expect him to. I am sure he will find the experience… thrilling.” It looked more like the young mech thought the experience horrifying, which made Sixshot smile wider. Younglings they took everything so serious.

“Even better,” Soundwave said, grateful for the shift in conversation. “Skittishness is adorable and all, but I’m sure we can find him a lovely partner here if necessary; that’ll calm his nerves _very_ quickly, and maybe give him something else entirely to think about. After all, Iacon is turning out to be a veritable crystal mine of potential mates. I think even Barricade has been looking a little more closely at some of the mechs on the streets.” 

He hadn’t probed the small black and white mech’s mind to see if he was actually serious or just that bored, but that was mostly because they had an understanding and Barricade _always_ knew when he was probing (which was only because his wavelengths were so uncomfortable for Soundwave to mesh with that it ended up giving them both overheated processors; a shame, really, because Barricade might have made a fine mate otherwise). If he didn’t ‘get nosey and start pokin’ where he didn’t belong, slaggit’ Barricade would refrain from teaching his younglings bad habits.

Speaking of his younglings…

“The cassettes all seem to like Blaster as well, though Buzzsaw holds reservations for reasons he refuses to talk about and I won’t pry unless it seems like a problem. They all say hello, by the way, and they can’t wait to see you again. Ravage, especially, has expressed a need to be with you again, so I am expecting to leave him with you when I must return here if you cannot join us.”

Sixshot’s optics dimming as his thoughts turned quite willingly to their littles. They could continue to discuss Roadblock’s love life later, when his page wasn’t silently begging the floor to swallow him up. “I miss them! The estate just seems so empty without them and you around.” That was why he spent so much more time at their city penthouse, and at work, than normal, as Soundwave well knew by now. 

“We miss you, too. I feel bad for having to bring them all with me, but I needed all the help I could get during the start of this mission. Now that things have settled and we know pretty much all we need to, they can spend some time with their Creator. I’m sure I’ve been driving them nuts and bolts the past few orns; they’re probably as desperate for a break and some familiar surroundings as I am.”

“I will be happy to have them…” Sixshot hummed. He left it unsaid that he would be happier if Soundwave was there too. 

A light brush against his mental barriers announced his younglings’ return, and Soundwave smiled. “Well, I can’t turn them over to you quite yet, but our creations have returned and are undoubtedly eager to speak with you,” he announced just as they bounded (or flew) through the open doorway and fought for a comfortable place on his frame so they could see their Creator, all chattering greetings at once.

Sixshot managed not to start laughing at the expression on his page’s face plate, but only because his attention was completely caught by his family. Leaning forward again he placed his hands around the screen and rubbed his thumbs along its edges. 

“Hello, little ones! Have you been behaving?” he cooed. The answer was a mess of words, clicks, trills and growls in both Kaon and Tyger Pax standard, the sound of their excited little voices making his spark constrict even more than it already had just talking to his mate. He understood and accepted their necessity over there, but he missed them all so much… 

In the end they had to say goodbye though, his spark both light and heavy as he bid his littles and his mate a good recharge. Before going to his own empty berth, Sixshot wrote the petition and sent it on its way. The sooner the warlord had it, the better!

* * *

Soundwave sometimes forgot how powerful an experience being listened to could be, but he remembered very quickly as he put an image slide into the holoprojector and explained the basics of how drones operated to a crowd of enraptured younglings. It was intoxicating, especially for him; it could also easily become too much – so many minds focusing on him, on his words. Admittedly, this was a special case. While he could only tell so much about the Kaonite drones, he was almost guaranteed the students’ undivided attention… It begged the question of how it could have been if he been allowed to tell everything, and about all three drone types, not just the Scorponox model.

He didn’t dwell on it for long though, because he wanted to squeeze as much into the lecture as possible. There would be time for that later!

Truly, Iaconians were nearly as thirsty for knowledge as Helixians, for they soaked up every word he spoke with palpable excitement. Many of them even made notes despite this having nothing to do with their classes! It was such a warming feeling, and the tape deck honestly wished he didn’t have to draw his teaching to a close… At least the students seemed just as forlorn about it as he as he turned off the projector sometime later and answered as many questions as he could before the supervising professor stood and made his way to the podium.

“This concludes the lecture, students. Please leave the auditorium,” the pleasant voice of the older professor – such a small mech! – said over groans and pleas for just a few breems more. Soundwave watched as the majority of the crowd got to its pedes at continued prompting and walked out, and was gratified that some of them wanted to come and thank him personally for taking time out of his orn before rushing off. It was mid orn meal if he didn’t count wrong, so he could understand the need to let all of those warm minds free…

While others packed up and left, Optronix didn’t think twice about lingering, Scorponok poking its head over his shoulder to keep a firm lookout for trouble in what the noble felt was quite possibly the cutest way possible. He really hoped Ambassador Soundwave would have time to speak with him… He also really hoped that they would be allowed to speak privately so that he could ask questions about his suitor!

When the professor had excused himself from the room and almost all of the other students were gone, Optronix entered the main aisle and went down to the platform, his hands clutching at his pads to keep them from wringing nervously. 

“Ambassador Soundwave? Are… Are you busy?”

Soundwave tilted his head, warming in pleasure at being approached by this particular mech. For Optronix, he was available until there were no more questions he could answer. Soundwave smiled behind his mask, though he was also in a way sad… Blaster hadn’t been at this lecture; it would have been nice to see the young tape deck again even at a distance. A whim made him consider if Blaster and Optronix might like each other… He hoped so, just as he hoped that Optronix would like him.

“Negative: available for foreseeable future.”

Optronix smiled a little, both nervous and grateful. “Oh… Okay. Can we talk? A-about drones and… some other things?” he asked, the words both hopeful and endeavoring to be unobtrusive. Even as he spoke, though, Scorponok took it upon itself to scale his helm and stretch out as far as it could, attempting to get closer to Soundwave with a curious chirr. Undoubtedly, it recognized the Kaonite configuration, and was excited about it…

Soundwave picked up the drone before it could over-balance, handling it carefully and projecting calm, non-threatening feelings at it. It was young and curious, but drones matured quickly and it was already quite deadly should it decide to be hostile. Returning his attention to the small, young Iaconian as soon as the drone had settled, he smiled again at the slightly surprised look on the handsome features. It was a good thing his mask and visor were both on for now, or else Optronix might have become suspicious of his happiness.

“Affirmative. Relocation: desired?”

Optronix was too startled, at first, to do anything but stare in awe at the easy way his drone and the ambassador contacted one another. Sure, Soundwave was obviously knowledgeable in regards to them, but that did not make it any less surprising…

“Um… There’s a, uh, room? A small lounge down the hall. We’d be out of the way but people would be able to find you if they need you…” he said haltingly, gesturing toward the door.

“Acceptable. Lead the way.” This was what he had come for, though he did love speaking to young mechs that had only been a key to this. And he was curious about this young mech that would be his ruler soon enough. He could not imagine anyone chosen for Warlord Megatron to become anything less than that.

The young noble nodded briefly and turned to do as Soundwave requested. Thankfully, the lounge was empty but for a couple of students that were practicing some sort of speech, so Optronix had his pick of seats and was able to find one large enough for Soundwave’s model with relative ease. It was probably meant as a small couch or something, but it would do, right?

“Er, have a seat here. Would you like some energon or something?” he offered, glancing at the dispenser. He, personally, was too nervous to even think about refueling even if he had been hungry, but it was polite to offer!

“Attentiveness: appreciated. Fuel: not needed,” Soundwave replied as he settled down and put the young drone on his lap, gently petting it. So nervous… The poor little Iaconian; he had no idea what was happening around him. It was too bad there were others here though. He had no wish to unmask in front of strangers… 

Optronix nodded and aborted the move for the fuel dispenser, and waited for instruction on what to do next.

Soundwave gestured him to a nearby seat, sensing his discomfort with doing anything without permission, and said, “State your questions.”

“A-alright, um…” Optronix sat down across from the other mech with something akin to relief, which was washed away quickly by his feeling not a little giddy at the opportunity to finally be able to talk to one of the Kaonites. He floundered for a place to start. There were just so many things he wanted to ask, wanted to know!

“I, um… I… Wow. I’m sorry! I don’t even know where to begin – I just have so many questions…” he laughed, the sound nervous more than anything. “Do you… My suitor said it was okay to ask you questions about him? I have so many… What is he like? What is okay for me to ask you about him?”

“Affirmative; apologies: answers may be abbreviated. Omega,” Soundwave smirked a little at the name behind his mask, “Alpha: Powerful mech, caring mech.” Casting a glance at the small group of students, he considered reevaluating removing his mask and visor. This conversation would be delicate enough without keeping to this limited speech pattern…

Optronix couldn’t help but smile, glad to hear that. He felt like he could trust Soundwave to tell him the truth, and wouldn’t Scorponok have acted up if he wasn’t? Even if the drone seemed perfectly content to be a limp pile of scrap under the mech’s hands at the moment… Either way, he was going to ask every question he could get out and hope that Soundwave had leave to answer them!

“I thought he would be. He sounds so amazing in our letters! Do… do you think I’ll be able to meet him? He says we might meet eventually, but has he said anything to you?”

Plans were in motion for that, but Soundwave couldn’t really tell Optronix of course. Nevertheless, he tried to be reassuring as he nodded slightly. 

“Omega Alpha: wishes the same. His desire to assure Optronix: vast.” Tickling the small drone with the tips of his claws, he hummed at it before lifting his visor to the small mech before him again. Most Kaonites got a drone long before this age but Optronix was coping well, especially considering the fact that he did not know all there was to know about the small drone. Truly, it said a lot about how well he would be able to adjust to other Kaonite things, and Soundwave sorely wished he could say everything he felt on the matter right now!

“That’s good!” Optronix said enthusiastically. It was hard to keep it down when he was so excited, but he didn’t want to alert anyone else and have attention brought to them… “Can you… can you tell me how he learned about me? Kaon and Iacon aren’t on the best terms right now… It’s rather weird. And how he knows so much about me, for that matter.”

“An image… Omega Alpha received an image of you. A blessing. Investigation followed.” Soundwave couldn’t help but be amused as he gave this answer. It felt a little odd to describe his lord and friend as some sort of sophisticated stalker, but at the same time, it was hilarious. Though in this case, it was true; omitting the fact that the image had been given by the Oracle of Praxus of course. How would Optronix react to such information? He would likely be less incredulous at least… Or perhaps too stunned to think anything at all? It was hard to say right now, when he knew so little of the Iaconian.

“He decided just on an image?” That was even weirder than he had thought… “I’m not ungrateful for the attention, of course, but… What makes him think that all the trouble he’s going to is worth the effort?”

“Circumstances: Special. Elaboration: currently forbidden.” 

Well, that wasn’t creepy or anything… Optronix sighed, realizing that he wasn’t going to get much further in that line of questioning, and decided to just shrug and change the topic to something he was a little more comfortable with while he thought of a new approach. 

“Alright. So… Is there anything in particular you would recommend when it comes to dealing with Scorponok, then? I mean, Omega said that they’re social, but Scorp doesn’t really have any other drones to visit with…”

“Scorponok: healthy. Optronix’s friends: assist in healthy social development. Modification: also helpful,” Soundwave replied, taking the subject change in good humor. Optronix had no way of knowing how many lives depended on him and his choices, and it was probably better that way for now. Though on a personal level, only one of those lives mattered to him.

“Really? That’s a relief… I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t doing any damage by having him here – not that I could do anything about it, I guess,” Optronix said, frowning. He had been thinking about it on and off for a while, but the question always seemed to get smothered under the countless others he had whenever he sat down to write a letter… “He sends toys and stuff to my suitor’s drone, too. Is that just because he’s lonely, or what?”

“Gifts: to state interest. Not loneliness.” The level of interest, however, was not one he intended to explain too much. He wasn’t sure how much information Megatron had given on this particular drone, although he did know that Scorponok was not a neuter. 

“Such gifts: common among drones. Gifts: amuse Omega Alpha.”

“Ooh…” The noble contemplated that for a moment before smiling once more. “Well, I’m glad Scorponok has made a friend, even if it is only by proxy…” It was definitely a good thing! He wanted very much for Scorponok to develop normally, even if he couldn’t be around many of his kind… 

“Scorponok: healthy… Happy.” The drone was both. It liked being with Optronix even if it hadn’t chosen him so much as been chosen for him. Unlike the other two drone types, this one could be ‘forced’ in to the drone/carrier bond. It did require a certain receptiveness in both but that had not been, had never been, a problem they considered they would have with Optronix.

Optronix beamed. It was good to hear that he had been taking good care of the drone that had been given to him… But he should probably ask more questions, shouldn’t he? The noble shifted in his seat and looked at Scorponok, who appeared to be recharging thanks to the ambassador’s rhythmic petting, and another question occurred to him.

“What’s Omega Alpha’s drone like? It’s a lot older than Scorponok, right, because Omega’s had it for a long time… Is it calmer than Scorp, or…?”

Calmer? Soundwave suppressed the urge to laugh uproarishly as a recent memory of Scavenger playing with his younger Creations surfaced. Drones might not have the same type of sentience that mechs did, but they were not stupid in any way or form, and sported a full range of emotions and expressions. “Scavenger: older, yes. Drone at prime efficiency! Appearance: spikier, darker and larger. Calmer: negative.”

Why did that not surprise him? Of all the things that Scorponok seemed to be as he grew, calm did not appear anywhere on the list. Optronix easily admitted, at least to himself, that he was more than happy to hear that on some levels. He liked seeing Scorponok get excited over something like a kicked toy, or having the little creature bring a letter to him so it could be reread…

“Do they ever calm down? You said they can live as long as their owners in the lecture, right? If they’re properly taken care of?”

“Longevity: Dependant on good care.” Soundwave made his voice as stern as it could become with his mask on. Partly to prevent himself from laughing, and partly because this was a very important thing. A drone could probably outlive a mech if it wasn’t for the bond between them. Unbonded drones frequently lived twice or thrice as many vorns as the handlers that bred them.

“Of course,” Optronix agreed, nodding seriously. He would do everything he could to ensure Scorponok’s good health! “I wouldn’t give him anything but the best care!” Unfortunately, they didn’t have any specialists here… But surely with the peace treaty, he would be able to find one? Optronix tried to be optimistic about it because he didn’t think that Omega Alpha would have given him a drone without some assurance that it would be able to get the attention it needed if something happened…

“Optronix’s caring nature: never doubted.” 

If Soundwave wasn’t careful, he was going to make his ego inflate to unbearable proportions… Optronix didn’t want to say that though, in case the ambassador decided to stop as a result, so instead, he asked, “Do you have any drones, ambassador? You seem to know all about them, and although I’m very curious about Omega, I’ve found myself more and more interested in Kaonites in general ever since he first started exchanging proper letters with me, too…”

“Drones…? One… Two, after a fashion. Tapes also… sparklings. They require similar care more often than not,” Soundwave offered, the tidbit of information filled with a certain glee. Most became flustered when he mentioned having sparked, and especially having sparked more than one. Tape decks tended to be prolific though, and he was no exception.

“Tapes?” Optronix asked in immediate distraction, trying to fit ‘tapes’ and ‘sparklings’ together even as he was excited and surprised by the idea of Soundwave having creations. They weren’t a common thing in Iacon… “Do you mean cassette tapes? … Well of course that would make sense, you’re a tape deck, as far as I can tell – um, I mean… How many?” Yes, that was a good place to start, instead of confusing himself by trying to think of (and then _not_ think of) Soundwave procreating. 

“Affirmative. Frame type: tape deck. Sparklings: tape… cassette configuration. Number: four,” Soundwave said, holding up four digits to emphasize his words as he inclined his head in a nod, keeping a tight rein on his amusement lest he started laughing at the poor young mech. It wasn’t Optronix’s fault that he derived so much entertainment out of teasing unsuspecting mechs. Maybe he should let off a little…

“ _Four_?” 

Holy slag! Soundwave didn’t seem old enough to have had four sparklings! It completely boggled the mind to think it possible to have that many, if Soundwave was anywhere near what age he thought the mech was… Optronix didn’t know how to phrase that line of questioning so that it wasn’t rude, but he gave it his best shot.

“Um… How, uh, how old are they? You can just tell me to shut up whenever, but… wow. Four?”

No Creator could resist such open curiosity, not even if it was tinged with confusion and possibly a little awe. Soundwave eagerly produced a holo cube from his subspace and showed Optronix the sparklings, pointing to each as he gave their ages. “Affirmative. Two drones as well, Ravage and Steeljaw, as previously mentioned. Both are nearly two hundred vorns. Twin fliers: Buzzsaw and Laserbeak, sixteen vorns. Twins: Frenzy and Rumble, three vorns. Youngest.” 

“Ooh…” Optronix cooed, admiring the younglings and the two large feline drones that Soundwave pointed out. They were all so adorable! Although… “Some of them… are creatures? Or have creature modes?” That wasn’t something he had ever seen before. Heard of, yes, but not seen!

“Their co-creator, Sixshot, is a multi-changer… Optronix: familiar with them?” the tape deck asked as he showed Optronix an image of his mate holding the tiny, tiny new sparked Buzzsaw in his big hand. It was an image he treasured above all others – he had several copies of it to ensure it would not be lost for any reason. It had been the first time the little cassette had transformed and Sixshot had been so proud that he had had a Creature alt mode.

“Oh, wow – he’s _huge_!” the noble gasped, too stunned by the sheer size of the mech compared to the little sparkling he held to even think about being tactful. A moment later, he flushed terribly and ducked his head in mortification. It was rude to blurt things out like that so crassly! “I’m sorry, but… I mean, I’ve _never_ seen a mech that large… Or with such a strange configuration. Although if he’s a multi-changer, it makes sense that he would look so strange to me…”

Soundwave laughed lowly, the sound filtered by his mask as a series of almost musical disharmonic notes. Sixshot was huge, in every way, he was also loving and protective… and beautiful. 

“Sixshot: loving mate, caring, protective. Soundwave: very lucky.” 

Optronix nodded, hastily but sincerely, and said, “I’m sure you’re both very lucky. All of your sparklings are so beautiful… I hope I get to have sparklings someday, though possibly not as many as you.” Someday, after he had finished school, he hoped, but if it happened before… Well, he probably wouldn’t complain much.

“Large family required for tape decks. Thank you; compliment is appreciated.” It was. Sixshot and himself of course thought their sparklings were the most wonderful beings in this universe even when they were naughty but it was always nice to hear others echo such things. 

“Sparklings in your future. Optronix: Young still.” Reaching out, he carefully petted the smaller Iaconian’s hand.

Optronix smiled a little bit and looked down at the large but nimble digits brushing his own with something akin to fascination. “I hope so…” he said softly. “I don’t want to rush into it or anything, but yeah. Sparklings would be wonderful when I’m stable enough to handle raising one or two…”

Stability wouldn’t be a problem, nor would credits ever be, the Kaonite wanted to say. Kaon was one of the richest city-states on Cybertron. With their outgoing, exploratory and aggressive nature behind them, Kaonites of old, and the ones of now, gladly took it upon themselves to chart the galaxy. They had more trading agreements than any other city-state as a result; nary a space ship left the planet without one Kaonite on board in some capacity or other. 

“In future: Young still! Time: Exploration comes first.”

“… Yeah. Yeah, you’re right. I shouldn’t worry about any of that yet! I’m sure it will happen when the time is right.” He hoped so, at least… “Um… Could you t-tell me a bit more about Kaon? Or do you have to go soon?”

“Time to talk: still plentiful. Kaon: home… Wild, large, beautiful.” 

He probably shouldn’t tell the young mech that Megatron had said to give him all the time he needed. Nor that he would have stayed by his side all orn from the beginning ‘til the end of this if the possibility had been there. They had considered getting a young mech to infiltrate the university and Optronix group of friends and decided not to because that would involve betrayal; this was safe, and undoubtedly welcome even if Optronix was sure to be upset later when he learned of the deceit… 

“Ask anything.”

Optronix faltered for a moment, surprised by just how much Soundwave seemed to mean ‘anything’. He didn’t want to overstep his bounds, but…

“Anything? I mean, I know Kaonites are very exclusive with their information… But if it’s okay to tell me… What’s it like there? What are the people like? Probably not as mellow as Iaconians, huh?”

“Mellow? No; fierce of chassis and processor. Balance upheld. The Holy Triad held in respect in all things. Living: hard, but rewarding. Kaon’s resources must be labored for, but are worthwhile.” This would be a _lot_ easier if they had some sort of privacy. Then, his mask could come off and he wouldn’t have to be careful with his answers… Optronix could have nearly any knowledge he desired, but the rest of Iacon was not so lucky.

“I bet it’s wonderful there…” Optronix sighed. He didn’t mind having to work for the things he needed, even though he knew he could be rather spoiled if he let himself be. Spoiled meant lonely, but hard working brought friends! 

“Kaon… For those that love it, a wonder. The Holy Triad gave a gift in poor wrapping. Kaon: poor, starving… then…” Shrugging a little, he held out his hands, palms up, a smile on his hidden dermas. “Then the destined mate of the Warlord… changed everything!” A legend that was true – a story taken down in records and revered like a fairy tale. Kaon had a very rich history, but that was still one of the most important and often told stories even to this orn!

To say that Optronix’s interest was piqued was an understatement. He didn’t doubt Soundwave’s words, but… one person had changed an entire city-state? 

“How?” was the first question he asked, followed quickly by, “Would you tell me more? It already sounds like an amazing tale…!”

Rumbling with amusement, Soundwave nodded and then threw an exasperated glance at the gaggle of students that had collected over the course of their conversation, all of whom who were by now watching them more than doing whatever it was they were supposed to do. 

“Privacy: possible? Story… sacred.”

“P-privacy? I don’t…” Optronix paused, hesitating as his frame warmed in embarrassment and, he could admit, a bit of less than professional admiration. Soundwave probably didn’t _mean_ it in an inappropriate manner, but… Well, he wasn’t an unlikable mech, even if he wasn’t the Kaonite that Optronix fancied himself attracted to initially. Although that fact made the Iaconian feel a little bit bad. He didn’t know of any place where it would be acceptable for them to go anyway. It was too short notice to get a private hall even in a less popular restaurant, and traveling that far today would be pointless… “I’m n-not really sure where we could go… Sorry…”

“No apology necessary,” Soundwave said, a little uncomfortable with the type of confusion he felt from the small Iaconian. Optronix was a youngling, he had to remember that, but for now, someone rather agitated was aiming for them; his coming through the door had been what had stopped the Kaonite speaking. 

“Ambassador, I really must apologize! You were not supposed to just be left to your own devices,” the mech said. Soundwave refrained from pointing out that that was what he had pressured on the professors to make sure happened. 

“No harm done. Time: suitably occupied.” Gesturing to Optronix and then the drone, he wondered if he should try to pressure this mech too, or if his usefulness hadn’t run its course. He had to be careful if he stayed with his friend’s mate-to-be right now… He was so eager to love some mech…

Optronix smiled at the professor that had interrupted them, a little nervous but mostly grateful for the distraction. He really didn’t like where his thoughts had been going… “I hope I didn’t cause any trouble for anyone… I just wanted to know more about drones since I have one,” he said, also gesturing to the recharging Scorponox in Soundwave’s lap. Truthfully, he had nearly forgotten the drone was there since it had fallen asleep…

“No harm done, no harm done. It was good of you to help, er… young one? We need more of that kind of initiative here!” 

Doddering old intellectual… Soundwave refrained from shaking his helmet, but didn’t stop the smile since no one could see it anyway. It was like visiting his many times grand creator, all focused on his work now and only a little aware of the reality about him unless it had a direct impact on his work, to talk to most of the staff at theUuniversity. 

“Thank you, Optronix. Have a pleasant night cycle,” the Kaonite said as he gently lifted the previously sleeping, now unhappy, drone he gave it to the younger mech and stood, turning to the old professor. It was better to follow along… Give the young mech time to calm down and redirect his amorous feelings again.

“Please: lead the way.”

“Yes… Thank you, Soundwave, Ambassador, sir!” Optronix said as he accepted his drone and gently nuzzled it in apology for its interrupted nap. “I hope we can talk again sometime…” Preferably after he had gotten his thoughts under control; it shouldn’t be too hard because Soundwave _wasn’t_ the mech he wanted, even if he was awesome to talk to.

Bowing lightly, only a polite one and not the deep one the young mech would get soon enough, Soundwave turned to follow the professor, optics still on Optronix. 

“We will: I shall look forward to it.” Turning entirely, he left the room behind with a decidedly calmer spark then he had had when he arrived at the University. The young Iaconian would make it… He was strong and loyal, young and very healthy. He would fit well with Megatron. It was all a faithful servant and friend could ask for.

“Me too,” Optronix mumbled after the door closed, despite knowing Soundwave wouldn’t be able to hear him. Even if things couldn’t work out romantically with Omega Alpha, he hoped he could be friends with Soundwave after Kaon and Iacon came to an agreement in the peace treaty. He was nice to talk to, and Scorponok liked him, too!


	10. Exordium

The world had become an interesting and busy place since the discovery of his Intended, but that didn’t mean that all of its basic routines had completely vanished, and Megatron was reminded of this when Starscream’s antsy behavior reached a peak one orn during one of their meetings (that weren’t really meetings so much as an excuse to escape everyone for a little while) and he started touching himself in vaguely inappropriate ways in an attempt to garner favorable attention. Or, put in less eloquent words, the Vosian Winglord was just shy of masturbating and demanding that Megatron frag him senseless outright. 

“You should not tease me, Starscream. As I figure it, the Seeker heat cycle starts soon and you are still searching for a consort!” Megatron mock growled at his friend’s provocative display, though he was undeniably amused by the mech’s efforts. He certainly wasn’t angry at the other’s teasing, as he understood its cause, but he was still weary and let the Seeker see his fangs, so to speak. 

Starscream grumbled and backed down with a wave of his hand and an accompanying wing twitch; the gesture was both familiar and a little bit annoying in his high strung state. 

“I’ll claim my mate soon enough,” his friend replied blithely, but his words were belied by the way his wings twitched in agitation and need. “‘Til then, I guess will suffer though whatever arousal I feel… _Alone_ …” 

Even if he was quite tired of his empty berth and wished the Iaconian council would hurry even a little bit, Megatron sympathized with the sentiment both mentally and verbally. Still, he had entered into a courtship and he could observe the rules of one no matter how atypical it was! Turning his attention to the now morose Seeker, he sighed. He understood all too well why Starscream was needling him… The oracle had not been as helpful for him as it had Megatron, after all. 

Starscream forced the longing off his faceplate with difficulty. 

“Either way,” he sighed, “I am not looking forward to it, even if my wingmates will be happy to help me with it! And while I understand the political issues of your position, it would be so much easier to resist teasing you if you would just kidnap the young mechling and have proof that you are no longer available… He would probably think it an exciting adventure and fall for you in less than a breem!” 

It was what Seekers did if they found their resonant outside of Vos, as they both well knew. It was even somewhat accepted since no mech in their right state of processor would try and retrieve another from Vos while the Seekers were in heat. But a Kaonite doing something like that would be frowned on, unfortunately… Megatron huffed and tried to ignore the temptation to do exactly as Starscream suggested.

“So… how do the negotiations fare?” the Seeker asked, changing the topic before Megatron could become too ingrossed in his miserable musings. 

The Warlord didn’t get a chance to answer before a knock interrupted them, and then a much-welcomed visage entered the room.

Soundwave had been politely loitering outside the door to the council chamber for some time, but the shift to a topic he would not be hesitant in interrupting gave him a good reason to announce his presence, and with this particular topic, he would be, in effect, killing two birds with one stone. He bowed respectfully and straightened up again to approach his old friends. 

“My Lord Megatron, Winglord Starscream,” he murmured as he entered and closed the door behind him. “I have some good news, and another letter, if you would have them? As well as another gift for Scavenger from his own secret admirer.” The last was added with an amused smile behind his facemask; to him, the little drone was adorable in his affections, and he could hardly wait to see Scorponok interact with Scavenger for the first time, especially after meeting the fledgling drone firsthand!

“Ah… Soundwave, you know better! In here, you can drop the titles unless the full council is in session.” Megatron smiled, happy to see his friend again. That he was also the barer of good news and another letter helped in no little part with his previously dour mood. 

“What is this gift? Not that it matters – I am sure that Scavenger will be only too pleased to add it to his collection regardless… If I didn’t know better, I would think they were courting at a distance, too. But never mind that… Come, sit down, drink something and tell!” 

Waving at an empty chair and the page at the refreshment table in turn, the Kaonite leader absently petted his drone as it snuck out of its resting place. Scavenger was a smart little thing. Maybe he really was courting and being courted… It did greatly resemble the behavior of drones in heat, all this gift giving and attention seeking. It was quite possible that Optronix had been quite spot-on with his musings before!

Having no drone of his own, Starscream did not venture an opinion, but he still smiled at the blue and silvery white mech. “Now, now, no need to rush the mech. We haven’t gotten all the pleasantries out of the way yet… How is the family, Soundwave? Did Sixshot welcome you home properly?” So he had interfacing on his processor. Moving his wings agitatedly, Starscream tried to count just how many cycles there was until the Heat struck… Seven? Possibly…

Soundwave sat down and retracted his mask and visor, then passed over the letter, toy, and final draft of the treaty (all of which were set aside for the moment except the toy, which was immediately claimed by its intended recipient) before accepting a cube from the servant with a grateful nod. 

“My mate and little ones are well, and I’m still holding judgment on if I was welcomed home properly. I’m still walking, so I can only hope Sixshot isn’t finished me with yet,” he replied. 

“And they say that Seekers are insatiable… though you have a point, with a mate that much larger,” Starscream purred throatily and fluttered his wings in a mock attempt at flirting. Sixshot had to be large… And frag his heat cycle! He was going to go with Megatron to Iacon, even if it killed him! The city-state had refused his attempts at diplomatic relations through the eons but now they had ‘made a deal with Unicron’, their age old enemy city-state of Kaon, so it might be time to try again…

“Well, when the interfacing is so good, who would want to stop?” 

Soundwave knew he probably shouldn’t be taunting Starscream with those images so close to his heat… He just couldn’t help it! After being apart from his mate so long, it was hard to think of anything _but_ getting ‘faced through the floor… Remembering his and his bonded’s recent talk, the mech sat up a bit in his seat.

“Speaking of Sixshot… Megatron, I’m sure you already got the petition, but when we go back to Iacon, I would very much like to have Sixshot join us… I, we… have found someone of interest and I would be very grateful to have him meet the mech in person…”

Megatron waved a hand, dismissing Soundwave’s nervousness. “That won’t be a problem at all. I think it would be interesting to see the Iaconians reaction to a multi-changer. I sent a request to the University on his behalf and they all but fell over their pedes to agree… I think they would have done just about anything to have him as a guest speaker.” It had been amusing really, and Megatron was not ashamed to say he had had a good laugh once all was said and done on the matter. “I haven’t forwarded the messages yet because I was curious as to why. A third, you say? It’s about time isn’t it?” Smirking, he couldn’t help but needle his old friend just a bit. 

“Gah! That’s evil! Now you’ve found your third, too… I’m disgustingly jealous.” Starscream was halfway sincere; he did envy them both, but at the same time, he was happy for their fortune. If only… By now, he didn’t care if his resonant had wings or not, was pit ugly or the most beautiful but empty processored mech on the surface of Cybertron… He really just wanted to _find_ him!

“It’s nothing definite, not yet. That mech that sang for us, Blaster…” The name came out as a wistful sigh and Soundwave had to force himself to stop from just getting lost in his (too few, but that would be fixed soon, oh, yes…) memories of the mech. “We’re hoping though. He would be perfect. It’s rare that I mesh so well with another mech, and if Sixshot likes him as well… It’s only a matter of convincing him of our worth then.”

“Blaster? That isn’t a very Iaconian name… Actually, I can’t quite place it, but it’s almost warrior-like? Is he of mixed heritage?” Megatron couldn’t care less really; Soundwave had earned the trust needed to choose appropriate mates from whichever city-state caught his fancy a thousand times over. More so, it really was time that they got their triad stabilized. Tape decks had a very peculiar way of dealing with offspring… And even if Sixshot never said anything, Megatron was pretty sure the six changer wanted at least one regular sparkling, and just as sure that he wouldn’t force his mate to carry one. 

Starscream snorted. “My dear tapedeck, forget the name; how about telling us if he has a pretty aft instead?”

“I believe he is. I know he’s at least part Kalisian but I didn’t pry… And do you really have to ask? He’s divine. He’ll look even better when Six’ is done with him…” Ooh, yes… Panting and sprawled out and dripping transfluid and… Soundwave shuddered in want before he could restrain himself. A topic change was in order! 

“By the way, Starscream. On my way up here, I saw one of yours – Skywarp, I think, but I didn’t stop to look – harassing our chief surgical engineer… I’m concerned he might have been after more than a simple interface. He just recently came of age, didn’t he? You might want to look into that.”

Oh, that way, then… Megatron smirked but kept his comments at bay. He of all of them should now know that wanting and not having was pure agony. Yes, and all he had was a few letters expressing curiosity and lots of images that told him nothing but that he would tear his Intended out of a happy life. Suppressing the by now well known guilt, he huffed as quietly as he could. Yes, he really did hope that Soundwave and Sixshot would have less to worry about! 

“He is doing what?” Starscream sat up straight, wings flaring, and glared at the tapedeck. “I hope you are not trying to be funny… He is young and impulsive; if he decides to act on something at this stage…!” Of course, it was entirely posssible that Skywarp could have found his resonant already, but he could also simply be enamored with the newness of being allowed to pursue whomever he wanted! It was too big a concern to go ignored, and Starscream despaired that he would have to confront it at this particular time.

“Why in Unicron’s name would I try to be funny?” Soundwave asked, resolutely ignoring his lord’s plight. It would do no good to offer sympathy… Optronix would see reason before too long and he would thank Megatron for it! “As I said, I’m not entirely sure what was going on, except that Skywarp seemed _very_ intent on playing Hook’s shadow for the orn. Hook didn’t seem too impressed with this but he didn’t feel at all inclined to kick Skywarp out, either, so…” At the very least, this little tidbit of information would give Starscream something else to worry about aside from his impending heat for a while!

“Starscream, Hook can take care of himself and if it _is_ the heat cycle…” Megatron shrugged and smiled humorlessly. He very much doubted that Hook would stand for being confined to Vos if he had any choice. His brothers would _not_ stand for it; that much was for sure! He, however, could live with having his chief surgical engineer tighten their bonds with the mercenary city-state…

“I hope the flier knows what he is getting in to. I would not have pictured that youngling– ah, excuse me, newly adult mech to go after a grounder of Hook’s build.” 

“Gah! You are right…” Starscream slumped back in his chair and glared at an innocent tapestry on the wall. “Resonance works… strangely. Scientists have tried to explain it for eons, so have our priests, and no one is any closer to figuring it out. It’s not even like we find all our resonant outside our borders either. Only the Airlords, usually. But still…” 

Soundwave made a consoling humming sound before speaking. “Either way, it is probably a good idea to keep an optic on him. He did not harbor any shady intentions, but even the best intentions can hurt someone, and I don’t care to think of who it might hurt worse.” No, especially since things going really bad would very likely mean a fight between the Seekers and Constructicon gestalt… Soundwave refrained from sighing out loud at the thought of all the work that would make for him and everyone else.

Megatron tried not to grin; the Winglord hated the heat cycle for two reasons. One, he still had no mate and two, all the insane situations that cropped up when family of claimed mechs desperately tried to get a hold of them again during the cycle. Sometimes even literally, physically hold of them. The thing was, a newly claimed could barely walk for orns after the heat cycle passed, much less during it. They were also pampered like the precious finds the Seekers knew them to be, so it was extremely rare that one even _wanted_ to be rescued!

“Amusing as this might become, Hook should be warned… I will not have his brothers tearing off for Vos if young Skywarp decides his claim is valid enough to enforce it when the time comes!” 

Starscream threw a disgusted look at the Warlord. “You are enjoying this, aren’t you?” he asked. Relaxing and settling comfortably in the chair, he smiled thinly. “Skywarp likes to play the dumb prankster, but he is highly intelligent… The only thing I really worry about is him taking attraction to the unknown for a resonance call. New adults sometimes make that mistake…” And needless to say, it created a mess of proportions! 

“Only a little!” Megatron assured, not repetent at all.

Starscream snorted and flicked his wrist in mock irritation. He then turned back to Soundwave with an interested if bemused smile, diverting back to the topic of the mech the tape deck had become enamored with. “Now… How about explaining how the whole claiming of your mate is going to work?”

Megatron smirked and then turned his attention to Soundwave as well, willing to let the situation lie for a while. He knew him well enough to know that the blue and silver mech wasn’t telling them everything, and that was far more interesting than hashing out what Skywarp’s possible excuses could be for what he was doing. 

“Dispensations could be made… You need a third and I am willing to give you the means to obtain him without too much… fuss.” 

Soundwave shrugged. “Not sure. He’s rather young… And not too interested in being confined, which he would have to be, at least for a little while at first, if he agreed to be ours,” he answered, sounding just as miserable about that fact as he really was. “We’ll talk to him first, convince him to let us take him somewhere so that we can… explain ourselves in privacy, I suppose. I wouldn’t even _think_ of forcing him, but I don’t want to think of how… unhappy I will be if he refuses us…” The tape deck didn’t say that he would very likely be depressed if that was what happened; it did no good to bring his friends down with him. 

The three mused silently over those words, but then a thought struck Megatron and he offered a tentative grin.

“You said he was a Kalisian? Offer him something no other Kalisian has ever had… The chance to be an ambassador for Kaon. You know well all the privledges that would entail!” 

Cybertron was changing – the city-states could no longer survive as separate entities. Kaon was slowly opening her borders and Vos would follow. It would not happen over a vorn but change was coming and it had to start somewhere. 

”Such a position would feed his need for travel and having the both of you should give him all the little cassettes his spark will soon begin to crave…” Starscream leaned forward, tapping his chest plate with his claws.

Soundwave considered that. “If he agrees to it, he will have to study Kaon’s politics,” he said after a lengthy pause. “I suppose he could do that while still studying the rest of his courses, so it doesn’t feel like he’s being restricted… Just another class before he can graduate.” It led to a rather nice set of images, really. Blaster calling them every night during his trips, two or three as-yet-unsparked younglings peeking over his shoulder as he described all the things he had seen and done that day. Their entire, ever-growing family lounging in the rec room, reading and laughing and playing games… Blaster tight between his mates, moaning and writhing and begging for more as Sixshot filled him, thrusting into him hard and forcing his spike into Soundwave’s valve… The tape deck groaned and dropped his helm to the table. Slaggit all!

“I can make it so that he will have an invite to the University in his hands the second he says yes to your claim.” Observing his ambassador trying to rattle his own processor, he grinned anew. “Having dirty fantasies already? My, I had better make sure to set those dispensations into motion… Do you think a visit from the terrible Kaon Warlord will make his decision fall quicker?” 

“HA! If you want the youngling to offline on the spot, yes,” Starscream snorted and shook his head. “The rest is a good idea though, we have to start somewhere and the higher echelons are the place to do it… Not that any of this should be turned into a media spectacle but… yes, I highly doubt you would want one of those pretty little wall etching mates, Sound’.”

“I like working mechs,” Soundwave agreed without thinking, then groaned again when he thought of all those times he and Sixshot had been caught while the six-changer was ‘working’… 

“Unmaker take me, I don’t even have control over my own thoughts anymore!” he whined pitifully. “I will be grateful when this is all over and I’ve hopefully gotten what I want… I don’t know how you can stand it, my lord. Though the fact that you haven’t been so close to your intended that all you have to do is reach out and you can touch him might have helped…”

“Truthfully?” Megatron did his best to block out the actual memories, but a nearly pained moan told him that he failed. “Sorry, Soundwave… I don’t really stand it as much as work it out of my systems as regularly as possible…” It wasn’t embarrassing to admit it even if he had scorned Starscream on almost the same question at the beginning of this conversation.

Sending the Warlord a good natured glare, Starscream leaned towards the tape deck. “Trust me, get him as soon as you can. I have no idea how multi-changer triads work, but if it’s anything even remotely like resonance you had better get that youngling to spread his legs and plating for you soon!” He was being serious, deadly serious… Denying the resonance call could kill a Seeker.

“How will you be able to contain yourself after he’s been brought here? He will be within arm’s reach all day…” Soundwave trailed off, dropping his head to the table again in punishment for saying something so stupid. It was going to be hard enough for Megatron without him going on about it now! “Seldom in life are things so easy, Star’… The gods alone know how much I pray for him to be so agreeable as to do such things for us before Sixshot buckles under the strain and… makes things needlessly difficult. His patience, though exemplary, _does_ have its limits, and if he reacts to Blaster the way I am hoping…” 

“I’m going to have to remember to have a hand buffing tool in my subspace at all times?” Smirking self-deprecatingly, Megatron shifted uncomfortably and fingered the unread letter. It was not going to be easy at all. Some recharge cycles he even had nightmares about it – Optronix would probably hate him in the beginning. It would be a fight just to make him see Megatron for a mech and not as the enemy! A task made all the harder by the fact that he had to rule Kaon while doing this. Possibly an impossible task… Maybe revealing that he was the ‘secret admirer’ would only garner him more hate. He didn’t know, couldn’t… couldn’t fathom how Optronix would respond, and that only made his worry grow.

Starscream snorted at Megatron’s attempted humor and shook his head at Soundwave. “I know… one could wish either one of you had the same, ah… tradition behind you that Seekers do.” They didn’t though so… “Just seduce the pit out of him, don’t candy coat it or pretend that you have time to dance around it for vorns. That goes for both of you, by the way.”

“I wish I’d had more time to integrate myself in his processors, find some way to capture his attention, but his conductor interrupted us,” Soundwave said, propping himself up on his elbow joints. “At least you have some idea of what your mech likes, Megatron. Music will only get me so far… I’ll just have to wing it and hope for the best, I suppose.” The tape deck sighed and looked at his depressed leader thoughtfully for a quiet breem. “You should get out for a while, sire,” he announced, though it was much more of an order for his old friend than a suggestion. “It’s not good for you to sit in here cooped up all day with no one but your thoughts and a randy Seeker to keep you company. Why don’t both of you come to my home for evening refuel? Sixshot and my younglings would all be delighted to have company they actually know.”

“You’re right, Sound’, especially about the randy Seeker!” Megatron smirked at Starscream’s abhorrently fake offended gasp. It was good to be together again, even for a short time… maybe… “Why not! If you think Sixshot will be done with you by that time…?” 

“As if… but he can take his hands off his dear, sexy little tape deck for a meal, can’t he, Soundwave?” 

Considering that Soundwave out massed the Seeker by a factor of three to one that taunt was an old joke. Starscream was taller and much more slender but he was built light in order to fly better, Soundwave was by no means heavyset but he was solid and… gah. At one time Starscream had had such a crush on him. Too bad there had been no resonances at all! It would have saved them all a lot of trouble! 

“He is never ‘done’ with me, but he’ll be able to stand a small interlude to see friends,” the dark blue Kaonite said with an amused smile. “Now, I believe the pleasantries are out of the way, so onto my news, then?”

It was obvious that the other two had forgotten that he even had news, but they were both very agreeable to his suggestion once they got over being embarrassed by that fact. Soundwave gestured to the pad with the treaty on it, smiling slightly.

“Reluctantly – and believe me, it was _very_ reluctant – the Iaconians have accepted your conditions for the treaty and now only await the final signing to seal it,” he announced, and took delight in Megatron’s stupefied expression.

“Upon your arrival, all eligible mechs will be brought to you, starting with those attending the university, so that you may choose your mate, as agreed. Trade requests have already been sent to the Merchants’ Guild, so that is no longer a concern, and Optronix is very close to brutally deactivating Ratchet. I’m sure he’s mentioned it in his letter. Barricade said he spent almost half a joor ranting about his friend’s stupidity a few orns ago, and I, myself, was treated to his thought processes just recently.” 

The gray Kaonite hurried to activate the mentioned pad and read it after listening to Soundwave’s explanation, a relieved grin blossoming on his features, completely eclipsing his previous mixed feelings.

“This is highly pleasing!” he said, tossing the pad with the treaty on to Starscream he turned to Soundwave with a thankful expression. 

Starscream only skimmed it before speaking, his tone confused and curious. “Hum… Iaconians are strange. As far as I can see, you have given them a very fair deal and your demands are not great. Was it really that hard to get it through council?” It probably had to have something to do with possible alliances being disrupted if this or that youngling was chosen. He couldn’t see any other reason for such fuss! 

“They’re wary still of conflicts from long before Megatron’s rule, and fear that we are drawing them into a trap as before. ‘Once bitten and twice shy’, I believe the phrase is,” Soundwave answered Starscream. ”But we can discuss it some more later, okay? I have a date with a hunk of mech that I’ve been missing terribly…”

He stood up, stretching languidly. “Six and a half joors okay with the two of you? By then I’ll hopefully have my mate worn out a bit and we can all relax without him sticking his snout in indecent places and the scraplets will be home from tutoring.” 

Megatron looked like he almost wanted to protest, but it wasn’t like talking about it further now would make things happen any faster. As it was, they were happening faster than he expected, so he just nodded and excused the tape deck.

Starscream and Megatron actually managed to turn to serious matters after Soundwave departed, relief like a removal of weight on both their shoulders as they discussed a couple of trade agreements that needed revision by request of some select subjects. 

The dinner was a relaxed affair, enjoyable and interesting as always – it was hard for it not to be with a flock of cassettes and Sixshot mixed into the trio of old friends. It was a very enjoyable evening, all things considered; the first in such long time, and likely the last for quite a while as well, for when the next orn dawned, Kaon was in chaos. It seemed that the entire city-state knew that their Warlord was about to claim his mate at long last and everyone was rushing to prepare for all that that meant.

Megatron had to admit that it warmed his spark to know that his people cared so much, from the nobles down to the lowest of the low working mechs. It was wonderful, and hopefully they would include Optronix in this warmth when the young mech was brought here…


	11. Faceplate to Faceplate

Optronix fidgeted with the soft mesh cape draped over his right shoulder, trying his best to ignore Perceptor’s fussing as he, too, straightened his ceremonial garb while arguing with Wheeljack over some mechanical function or other. The Kaonite Warlord was coming _here_ , and he was going to get to see him up close and personal… Oh, it would be so exciting to tell his secret admirer about him! Of course, Omega Alpha probably already knew all about the mech… 

The dorm-wide comm. sounded, announcing the time left for everyone to board the shuttles that would be taking them to the meeting hall which Warlord Megatron was waiting for them at, sufficiently distracting the red and blue noble and his friends. They all looked each other over one last time for scuffs or imperfections, and then headed for the door. Scorponok, freshly cleaned and waxed, chirped excitedly on Optronix’s shoulder as they headed out; it was quite thrilled to be allowed to go on the low-flying shuttle they were directed to once they were outside. Perceptor was separated from them at the door though, but he promised he would meet right back up with them when they landed.

Optronix led his friends to some empty space, and was, if not happy, then relieved to see that everyone else was just as nervous as he now that the moment was very nearly upon them, even if some of them were using the situation to unconventional profit as the transport filled and took off.

“I wonder what this is about…” Wheeljack mused as he used the convenient crowding in the shuttle to lean against Ratchet’s warm plating. The two femmes gave him a pointed glance, making his smile falter; he was sure they had somehow guessed what he felt for Ratchet, but he wouldn’t let that ruin what he _could_ get from the mech! “Am I the only one thinking it weird that students are dragged to see the Warlord? Exciting as it will be…?”

Optronix just shrugged, clearly lost in his own world, so Ratchet figured he could keep the conversation going, if for no other reason than because he was bored (and he rather liked talking to Wheeljack anyway). 

“Who knows?” he asked rhetorically, resting a hand against Wheeljack’s back as the shuttle started to ascend. “Perhaps they want us to see him in person and nothing more. It _is_ an honor, after all, and quite a historic event besides…”

Elita made a comment in reply, but it was lost on the red and blue mech; his mind was too muddled with all sorts of questions to be able to focus on conversation! He would have all the answers he wanted and more in time, he knew, but still…

* * *

Scavenger was a lot calmer than its bond master, but no one was surprised by this, given the reason Megatron paced the antechamber they had been given. It was a wonder he wasn’t throwing one of his little frustrated fits, but this was a lavish and, to a Kaonite, unnaturally bright, decorated thing that they currently resided in… A tantrum would positively _ruin_ it! It was also obviously not used for such purposes, anyway, but the gift of it was probably because of Megatron’s height and Starscream’s wingspan. Iaconians were apparently not used to such large guests. Soundwave, in particular, had been rather amused by his mate’s predicaments over small doors, for instance… 

“I will go insane soon… By the sword! How slow can they be?” 

Starscream smirked though he was nowhere near as calm as he pretended to be; the heat cycle was beating at him, threatening to break his control any breem now. He had sent both his wing mates home already to stave it off a little longer and the last report was that Skywarp had diverted from that order… as expected. 

“You have waited this long. You can wait a bit longer.”

Soundwave sat nearby his pacing lord, one hand on his mate’s nape and the other on the yellow cassette lounging in his lap. “Please relax, Megatron. You don’t want their first impression of you to be of an anxious, fidgety mech, do you? They are landing now and will soon be lining up to enter the hall.”

“No, I don’t, but I need to go and find him! Now, before…” Before he slipped away. It was an irrational fear and that aside, he couldn’t just grab the youngling and take him against a wall like he wanted to either…

Twitching his wings restlessly, Starscream growled lowly but otherwise remained silent as Megatron began pacing again in earnest. He could _smell_ the sexual tension filling the increasingly suffocating room! Megatron, Soundwave and Sixshot… they all reeked of need. His claws flexed, digging into his plating as he tried to regain some kind of calm. This was not the time to go into heat, NOT THE TIME!

”They cannot deny you the choice of him, Megatron.” Sixshot’s rumble was quiet and soothing though he in his own way was as anxious as Megatron. If all went well Soundwave would start their own courting this day…

“There is no legal way around the peace contract, unless the young one refuse you himself at the choosing there is nothing no one can do that will stop this bonding from happening.”

“That’s right. If he does not say no, he is legally bound to you, and you to him! It will take more than a complaint from any of the officials to break this, and even then, we’ve made sure to cover all our fox holes, so to speak,” Soundwave agreed. “It would take them vorns to find a compromise, but never one that you will accept.”

“I am aware of the legal bindings! But we are talking mechs… That guardian of his might well attempt to wrestle him from my grasp,” Megatron rumbled sourly. He was thankful for their support but also annoyed at their calm. He needed action! If something would just happen… anything almost. 

“Stop pacing!” Starscream hissed and flexed his wings stiffly, reacting to the growl that underplayed Megatron’s words.

“His guardian would be most unwise to try such a thing… but I concede that you are right, he might try and if he does he will fail.” Sixshot was very confident that he could outmaneuver anything thrown at him from a legal point of view.

Soundwave agreed silently with his mate’s proclamation. Sixshot was Tyger Paxian trained, and few could match such a thorough and rigorous training regimen in twice as many vorns as his beloved had! But even so… He could see why Megatron worried. Anything that could go wrong was a fatal liability at this point, so close to the mark…

They would just have to wait it out and know that any chance of failure was well taken care of in advance.

“Perhaps… but such considerations seldom stop a mech from attempting foolish things.” 

Megatron shrugged and continued his pacing though he slowed a bit in deference to the plagued looking Seeker… Starscream should be in Vos instead of here, but he had insisted on coming. Not that he could blame him given their circumstances…

* * *

Oh, this was so not good…

Perceptor gnawed his derma worriedly as he pushed his way through the masses to find his friends. Why in Primus’ name could they not have told him this sooner? He would have found a way to keep Optronix out of sight – perhaps a virus injection? That would have kept him out of sight for the time which Megatron would be meeting with the academy students… The microscope found the others just as they were entering the hall, and nearly growled in frustration. Too late… He would just have to keep Optronix out of sight here, or at least as much as he could without physically dragging him out or something… Slagging tall mechs.

Wheeljack was almost sad that they had left the confines of the shuttle but at least he could still use the crowd as an excuse to press against Ratchet. A familiar frame distracted his attention though, and a grin blossomed on his faceplates as he began waving frantically.

“Hey, look! Percy’s here – HEY! Perceptor, OVER HERE!” he called, but squeaked mid-holler when something landed on his helm and then scurried down his chassis.

Optronix turned at Wheeljack’s call to wave Perceptor over, and gave a startled squeak of his own when he realized that Scorponok was running off, scuttling through (and sometimes over) the crowd in the complete opposite direction. 

“Scorponok, no!” he groaned, rushing after the drone. He had no idea what had caught the thing’s attention, but this was so not the slagging time!

Perceptor shouted in dismay, ignoring the mechs around him as he forced his way through the conglomeration after Optronix and the wayward drone. “No, no, no, no, no…” There was no way he could catch the mech, smaller stature and a restless crowd were difficult enough on their own, but together… 

Ratchet reached out to steady Wheeljack when Optronix pushed past him, arms winding tight around the mech without really thinking about it. He caught sight of Perceptor’s stricken expression as he chased after Optronix and frowned worriedly before pulling Wheeljack after the other two mechs. 

Confusion was the main part of Wheeljack’s feelings on being dragged off. What the pit was going on? As they went the crowd thinned out and suddenly someone shouted angrily, ordering them to halt in a harsh voice that made shivers travel down his back struts. 

They had reached the only guarded door in sight – the one that obviously held Warlord Megatron…

* * *

Ratbat was annoyed that the peace negotiations were still taking up his time even now, after they were over. All that was missing was the Warlord’s ‘price’, of course, but it was something he personally wasn’t happy with but saw no reason to fear. It was an ancient and archaic tradition, to seal peace with a bonding, but if Kaon wanted that it, would at least ensure Iacon some trust that this peace would be lasting… 

“Skater! Where… ah, see if you can’t find Councilor Quickflair.”

“I apologize, sir, but he hasn’t yet arrived… He should arrive here any moment though, and I will bring him directly to you!” the young assistant said, bowing politely. “However, I felt that you should be apprised of the situation…? It appears that Optronix has broken file because of his drone and has been stopped outside the door to Warlord Megatron’s room. I doubt that he will be dealt with harshly, but perhaps I should send someone down ther– oh, it seems one of the professors is already on the way to sort it out. Perceptor, by the description…”

“That drone!” Ratbat’s dermas tightened with displeasure. The thing might be an expensive and valued gift but it was erratic and caused trouble. One had to wonder how the Kaonites dealt with the creatures when they had so many of them, and different kinds too, if rumor was right. 

“Ah, Perceptor? That is good, at least… I will want to speak with both him and Optronix when they have managed to extract themselves from the situation though.” Turning from his assistant, Ratbat looked around the room and tried to determine if there was someone other than Quickflair he needed to approach at this time.

“Of course, High Scholar,” Skater said, then, more quietly, “Please relax, sir. This will all be over soon and then there should be no more issue with the matter! Go enjoy a cube with the other scholars; I’ll see to it that everything runs smoothly until you must make your announcement!”

“A cube might be a good idea…” Skater was such a good assistant; he even made sure to remind him of fuel, something he was apt to forget when stressed. He really could not wait ‘til all of this was over and done with!

Skater bowed again to Ratbat’s retreating form, if only because it kept his optics from lingering in certain places, and made his own retreat to go and attempt to help deal with the situation at hand.

* * *

Scavenger suddenly stiffened, chirping questioningly and alerting everyone in the room of something out of place. Something scraped against the door almost immediately after, and one of the Kaonites guarding the chamber shouted angrily. Megatron stiffened as well, automatically beginning to reach for his swords while Starscream’s lazy pose glided smoothly into a battle crouch, his heat all but forgotten as his optics locked on the door and his dentals bared in a displeased hiss. 

“Soundwave?” 

Soundwave merely smiled, completely at ease. 

“Let them in,” he called to the guards standing inside, who looked at him with undisguised affront. “Unless you wish to be at your lord’s mercy when he finds you responsible for denying his Intended entrance?” he asked when no one immediately moved to do as he ordered. 

The doors opened pretty slagging quick at that, and guards on both sides jumped aside as something small scuttled under pede, followed by a familiar red and blue form that was shouting equal parts apologies and pleas for the drone to come back to him. Pleas which were clearly ignored when Scorponok rushed up to where Scavenger lounged on a couple of cushions and dropped itself onto its belly a bare hand-space before the larger Scorponox model’s mandibles, tail near vibrating with excitement as it clearly waited for permission to come closer.

“I am so, so, so sorry about this! I don’t know what’s come over him– Scorponok, _please_ …” Optronix babbled, but stopped short when he realized just _where_ his drone had led him. Oh, Primus, he had just barged in… in on _Warlord Megatron_ … Involuntarily, the young mech’s hands flew to his cape, struggling to straighten it without the assistance of a mirror of any sort as his head ducked submissively, staring, mortified at the ground in front of his pedes. Words eluded him, and it was hard to say if that was for the best or not, for if he could speak, he would have likely been babbling.

Perceptor faltered in the doorway, having been not nearly as distracted as Optronix about the room they had been granted access to, and grunted when Ratchet and Wheeljack bumped into his back. Too late, he thought for the millionth time. Oh, he hoped the Kaonite Warlord would simply bypass Optronix, write him off in favor of someone else, but that didn’t stop his fuel pump from stuttering in terror. Optronix was kind of taken, but that was no excuse… The other mech hadn’t moved in fast enough, so if it was Megatron’s will…

“ _YOU_!” 

Surprisingly, the shrill voice cutting though the silence did not belong to Megatron. The desperate need in it had Megatron stepping to the side quickly; he could claim his Intended after this. And he did not want to fight Starscream… It was much wiser to– oh, slag! 

“Out of the way, fools!” 

Stepping forward, he gripped Optronix’s slim shoulder and yanked him to the side and against his chest, leaving the way to the door and the three Iaconians free.

“It isssss you!” 

Starscream was hissing more than speaking, trembling with tension as he stared disbelievingly at the beautiful red creature in the doorway. His spark _hurt_ as it seemed to fling itself against its casing! He had never seen anything like this mech, felt anything like him, smelled anything like him… and yet he could barely believe… 

Wheeljack, deathly afraid of the raging _thing_ heading toward them, clung to Ratchet, whimpering and looking between the giant guards to the even more giant inhabitants in the room. What the pit had the little drone gotten them into?

Soundwave groaned inaudibly, spark aching in sympathy of his friend despite the potentially joyous occasion. Disadvantage to being a telepath around Seekers: a Seeker finding a resonant was not an experience one _ever_ wanted to have when they could hear every thought, fragging near _feel_ every spark pulse… It was overwhelming beyond belief!

Optronix gave a startled sound but was grateful for the sudden relocation when a winged mech all but flew straight through where he had been standing a second later, though it didn’t quite register _who_ he was pressed against before he saw who the flier was headed for. All else was forgotten as he watched fearfully as the mech – a Seeker, he realized with some shock – stormed right up to his friends, clawed hands stopping just shy of touching Perceptor’s face plates as he just _stared_ , venting raggedly. He noted the way Ratchet drew Wheeljack back against himself upon the Vosian’s approach, turning a little to the side as though to keep him out of the larger mech’s reach, but was quickly distracted when Perceptor opened his mouth to speak… and nothing came out.

 _Curious_ , a small, almost unheard part of Perceptor spoke up as he stared, wide opticked, at the Seeker towering over him. Curious that his mere presence would garner such a response from a mech he’d never met. Winglord Starscream, another part said, detached, clinical – the professor part, clearly. Anything else he might have thought was lost under the sound of his pounding spark and the rush of energon in his lines that told him to run, to fight, to do things he didn’t dare contemplate, just _something_ , even though his hydraulics wouldn’t respond…

“Don’t worry…” Megatron murmured soothingly, fighting down his own reaction to the slim chassis in his arms. “He won’t come to any harm… Starscream would rip out his own spark rather than harm his resonant.” It was fascinating to see his friend, one of the greatest warriors ever, reduced and elevated to something so primal… The beauty of it was inescapable and for a moment, he wished that his own task was as easy to complete.

A ragged moan tore free of the Seeker when he finally, finally, touched the back of a single claw to the little Iaconian’s facial plates. He was _real_ ; not a vision, not a delirious dream conjured up by his heat cycle. Real– REAL! 

Screeching a primal battle cry, Starscream snatched the mech to him, pressed the slim little mech to his chest and rounded on the room, hissing in fury as he searched for anyone, anything daring to oppose his claim… No one stepped forward and Starscream fled. Keeping his mate safe was more important than anything else had ever been!

A beat of silence passed before a small, meek voice spoke up. “W-what ju-just h-h-happened?” 

Wheeljack was shaken to his core, but grateful that someone had had the presence of mind to yank both him and Ratchet out of the way. The guard made a noncommittal sound and pushed them into the room again, shutting the door being them.

Soundwave visibly relaxed once Starscream was out of the room, helm dropping to his mate’s shoulder tiredly. He hated it when there was so much emotional chaos in such a small span of time… 

“It seems that we’ve just been saved a lot of trouble,” he said in answer to the green and white mech’s question, knowing it would not tell him much at all. A glance toward the drones showed that they had clearly paid no interest in the goings-ons around them; instead, Scavenger had made room for Scorponok on its cushions and was nuzzling the smaller form, emitting playful snarls as the little one squealed in delight.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Ratchet demanded, glaring at the door behind him before scooting away from it, pulling Wheeljack with him and for once completely uncaring of how it made him look as he pet the smaller mech’s helm and back comfortingly. He didn’t _want_ anyone near Wheeljack, especially not if they were just going to, to abduct him! “Why the slag did that winged menace just take off with Perceptor?!”

“Ratchet!” Optronix hissed, mortified that his friend would speak so callously to the foreign mechs. There was bound to be a logical explanation for it, as well as for Megatron’s comment about ‘resonants’ or whatever… Mechs didn’t just run off with someone with no good reason, right? 

Belatedly realizing that he was still flush against the large Kaonite Warlord, Optronix shakily pulled free of the embrace, mortification etched into his features as he murmured an apology. He had barely had time to be in shock about the realization of who it was, but that didn’t mean he was over the embarrassment and fear!

Megatron laughed at the white and red mech, gently waving off Optronix’s berating. He had known he would like the medical student even if he was too stubborn to listen to reason just yet! 

“That ‘winged menace’ is the Winglord of Vos and the reason for his behavior was the onset of his heat cycle as well as the claiming of his resonant… Bear in processor that he has been searching for that little mech for longer than any of you have been online…” 

Turning to Sixshot’s page, the gangly youngling already larger then Optronix, he smiled sharply. “Go inform the higher-ups and the University Dean that I have what I came for! I will be leaving within four breems.” 

The page bowed and left hastily, leaving the room in a brief silence. Save for the quiet purrs of two contented drones, of course.

Turning back around, Megatron reached out and tilted up the young Iaconian’s face plate and smiled gently. “I am Warlord Megatron; I have come here to claim a mate among you… on the advice of the great Oracle of Praxus and thanks to the treaty between our city-states. It is a great honor to finally meet you…?”

Wheeljack listened to the drama unfolding around him while gaping like a processorless mech. It was all so unreal – but then, so was the fact that Ratchet was touching him possessively, and that was definitely happening. The questioning note at the end of the Warlord’s sentence finally sparked some life into him. 

“No!” Every head in the room turned to him and he pulled back against Ratchet with a squeak. “O-Optronix already has a s-suitor… I- I… I mean…”

Ratchet mused over the behemoth’s words, but didn’t get long to do so before Wheeljack’s indignant outburst broke his concentration. 

“T-that’s right…” he said, arms tightening around Wheeljack when Ambassador Soundwave stood. Not that they really had any say if… “What do you mean, you have what you came for? No one agreed to this!” Oh, things were getting so confusing!

Soundwave sighed and turned to the Warlord. “With this, we will be departing now, my Lord. We have our own to claim, and not long to do it in,” he announced as Sixshot also stood and scooped up their sparklings. He could feel the other two Iaconians’ fear and concern, but they would accept it if things were explained… It was a shame they would have their own relationship set back by this turn of events though; they would be so concerned for Optronix and Perceptor that everything else would become secondary, quite possibly until the unveiling of the truth and the bonding ceremony to follow…

Optronix flushed embarrassment and something not unlike arousal warred within him at the feel of the Kaonite so close, and the heaviness of his gaze… He couldn’t even speak, vocalizer emitting an embarrassed, staticky sound before shorting out. Primus, what was he supposed to say? The _Warlord_ of _Kaon_ was saying that he was claiming him. Him, _Optronix_ , a minor noble and a normal student… 

“I, I don’t…”

Megatron waved distractedly to Soundwave, silently wishing him luck. The majority of his attention was on the mech before him, on the beautiful, heating facial plates, the plump, kissable dermas. He couldn’t claim him yet… but touching, he was certainly allowed to do. Running a claw along the soft lower derma, he just barely kept a moan down. “Your council gave permission when they signed the documents and any contracts will be dissolved. It was stated quite clearly that I had the right to choose anyone I pleased. I apologize that you did not have time to hear your High Scholar read the conditions out before I formally met everyone.” 

“C-council? They… they just sold one of us to you?!” Wheeljack was… appalled. He couldn’t believe that they would do something like that and yet… why in the name of Primus would the Warlord claim it if it was a lie?

Soundwave and his family bowed respectfully before leaving, but Ratchet barely noticed it in his rage. “You can’t just _claim_ him! Why the slag would the council agree to that? We are a free state, we’re not… not slaves! You can’t just snatch us up at your leisure!” Primus and the Pit, he was so, _so_ close to hitting the Kaonite… It wasn’t fair!

While Ratchet ranted, Optronix managed to dredge up a little bit of common sense and made a call to High Scholar Ratbat, hoping he would deny it but knowing, deep down, that that wouldn’t be the case… 

A few moments later, he closed the line and held up his hand to forestall any further complaints from his friend. “I… I can… get my stuff first? All of Scorponok’s and my belongings are still at the university a-and I’d like to, if you would allow it, leave one more letter to my suitor, m-my lord… please?”

“I am… sorry…” 

Unicron! As the brave expression on Optronix faceplates crumpled for a moment, Megatron felt his resolve waver and crack, but he couldn’t allow the mech to do that. “Your things will be brought to you… and you will have to write your former suitor from Kaon.” Pain speared his spark when that selfsame pain was mirrored on Optronix’s expressive face before it shut down in a cold mask. The mech must think him a monster, without feelings or spark… 

Whimpering helplessly, Wheeljack half reached for Optronix, abandoning the action and pressing back against Ratchet. The thought was just too terrible to dwell on! his friend sold like a piece of equipment to seal a slagging trade agreement?

There was no way his letters would be received if he moved away… There was no way of knowing how to get in contact with his admirer ever again. 

“Never mind. It doesn’t matter, I guess… No point talking to him when nothing can come of it but hurt.” 

Optronix tried to be indifferent as he pulled away from the Kaonite’s grasp, but his expression crumpled completely when he faced his friends. He’d been with them so long, had imagined always being with them… And now he was going away, to some unknown place with unknown mechs to be with a mech who he didn’t know, much less love… ‘Such is the duty of a noble’, Ratbat had said, through clenched dentals as he obviously tried to think of a way out of it. Suddenly, being High Scholar didn’t look that bad…

Optronix carefully embraced Wheeljack, and then Ratchet, asking them to say good bye to Elita and Firestar for him when they got back from their trip to Yuss, before going over to Scorponok. 

“Let’s go, Scorp’. Say bye to Ratchet and Wheeljack,” he said, smiling sadly when the drone chirred pitifully before doing as told and scaling the engineer in training so it could nuzzle both mechs. Once the drone was back in his arms, he turned to Megatron, face once again impassive despite the pain eating away at his spark. He didn’t know if it was a good thing or not that Ratbat had taught him such skills, but he used them now without hesitation. He had a duty to fulfill, and his fantasies were useless to him now. “I’m r-ready to go, my lord…”

‘My lord’. Megatron nearly cringed, feeling the title like a blow even knowing that Optronix could call him nothing else because he didn’t know any better. This was proving harder than he had ever thought! The urge to tell was so great; almost greater than the urge to touch. 

Nodding to the two devastated younglings, he collected Scavenger and escorted Optronix out past hoards of confused students and faculty and towards the skimmer pad. If he gave in and let him fetch his things, let him write that letter, the High Scholar might find a way to convince Optronix to protest, and there would be nothing he could do if the young Iaconian flat out said no… Only by taking his Intended to Kaon could they be safe. It was unfair and selfish, but it was the only way things could progress by his city-state’s laws and traditions. 

“I truly am sorry for the haste, little one… May I have your name? And, perhaps, the… the name of your suitor? I can make sure that he is told why you cannot be his Intended any more…”

“Optronix,” the red and blue mech answered, head ducked to avoid any gaze that might have tried to catch his own. “… And he didn’t have one. He never gave it to me… he said it wasn’t safe for me, b-but…” Optronix sucked air near-soundlessly through his vents, trying to calm down even as he clung to Scorponok and felt pitifully small on the skimmer. “I… He will hear of it though, soon enough. He is a Kaonite, I am sure the news will reach him… it is in the past though. I don’t want to speak of it anymore.”

The words added another layer of pain to their predicament, but Megatron inclined his head in understanding and let the subject lie. “As you wish, Optronix…”

* * *

“WHAT?!” 

The times Ratbat lost his temper, or indeed showed any real raw feelings, among his peers could be counted on one hand. The examples of such behavior dwelled long in the past but now he was displaying as if he was a youngling who hadn’t even learned to control his posture. Optronix… out of a few thousand students the Warlord had selected Optronix, and Perceptor had been taken by the Winglord? Shaking his head, Ratbat thinned his dermas and forced calm onto himself… 

“We will take our leave now, Skater… Quickflair.”

“Yes, sir,” Skater replied, momentarily cowed by the mech’s obvious temper. He bowed to the councilor and the other mechs around and hurried after the High Scholar, already giving orders into his comm. for the tenants to prepare their skimmer for the trip back to, presumably, the office. He had expected Ratbat to be upset, but to throw such a fit… Well, what else should he expect, when it was the mech’s own nephew?

* * *

Megatron spent the journey watching his Intended, the bowed head and shaky ventilations the only things in his conscious attention. Eventually the youngling curled up and went into recharge with a sadly clicking and confused drone in his arms. Scavenger at some point decided to join them, draping his pointy bulk over the red and blue mech in a defensive posture. It would have been cute if Optronix didn’t look so miserable.

When they arrived at last, Megatron carried his recharging mate-to-be off of the skimmer, the warm chassis tucked tight against his own and a drone on each shoulder. It was hard to leave him in the quarters he had had made ready… Hard to wait even though he knew he had to.


	12. Settling in...

‘I am sorry, little one.’ 

Megatron carefully only touched one slim shoulder panel for a short moment before gently nudging the mech forward – urging Optronix to step into the audience chamber with him, but not forcing the mech to go. Not that he needed to. The young mech was terribly aware of his duty. It was so hard to see the Iaconian struggle to come to terms with all that had happened and all that was expected of him…

The warlord happened to be proud over how the young Iaconian had handled being presented for the roaring crowds of happy Kaonites, the nobles that knelt before him and still towered over him, to swear allegiance to the soon-to-be bondmate of their warlord. 

Yes, very proud indeed… but it was torture to know that he could just tell who he was, get it all over with, and yet he could not. He had to know if Optronix would be moved by his people, if he could _love_ Kaon even if he would never love the mech he was destined to bond. And he had to follow tradition! That, more than anything, would determine how Optronix was viewed by his new people. Exceptions were only made for the truly weak, and the red and blue mech before him was most assuredly not weak!

All that aside, this was a simple audience session. He was to judge a few disputes, settle a few other matters and choose Optronix permanent chassis guards… or at least a group of mechs the little one could live with for now. 

“Nothing will be demanded of you, but you are free to speak of if you wish it.” 

The low words were all he dared give before he stepped into the audience chamber and took his place on the carved crystal seat.

Optronix nodded silently and slipped into the chair obviously meant for him next to the Warlord. Megatron had been nothing but kind to him since his arrival, but now he would get to see him interact with others, and the realization had made him immensely nervous. What would he be like? Unsympathetic? Kind? Helpful? Dismissive? The young Iaconian just didn’t know, and not knowing was going to be his deactivation if this session didn’t start soon!

It was a normal audience, and if there were a few more watchers then normal, and more family had come with the petitioners then was the norm, well… all Kaonites knew that the Warlord had found his mate-to-be. They wanted to see him, and Megatron could hardly blame them. And it hurt no one. 

He petted the drone on his lap while listening to another mech listing his criteria for working as a guard and glanced at the small Iaconian for a moment before sending the mech over to the other would be chassis guards. They had all already passed background checks and all other tests that his own chassis guards could put them through so Optronix could choose from them when the audience was over. 

“Trader Cobalt and Trader Quicksilver,” the Lord Chamberlain intoned, holding a datapad before him imperiously, like it was some sacred artifact. “Here to settle a trade dispute that noble Road Pig has refused to hear.” 

Controlling his expression at the name drop, Megatron gestured for his Chamberlain to continue.

Optimus watched avidly as the Chamberlain droned on and two mechs entered the room, followed by small groups that openly ogled him while their leaders glowered at one another. He tried not to look too intimidated by being the smallest mech in the room once again, but even with a brave face on, he couldn’t help but wish he could scoot closer to the mech he was at least familiar with for protection. 

Cobalt bowed deeply to his lord when he realized that the mech was already intently focused on them, and then bowed to the mech’s mate-to-be as well, intoning a respectful greeting to the worried looking youngling before falling silent and still once more.

The second trader bowed too, as polite and diplomatic as the first, but Megatron did not pay nearly as much attention to them as he seemed to be. This was not the first time that the noble called Road Pig had flaunted his responsibilities and then dismissed them. It might be time to ensure that he remembered his duties to Kaon and the people beholden to him…

The Lord Chamberlain started speaking again, drawing his attention as he detailed the dispute which mainly consisted of who had been granted the trade from a certain area of farms on noble Road Pig’s lands. Megatron was presented with the data pads of legal documents that both traders had brought as well as documents on their personal income and need for the produce from said farms. 

The matter was both straightforward and complicated; Trader Cobalt had been granted the trade of the farms’ produce ten groons before Trader Quicksilver, but both traders were small timers with families to feed. If he took the trade from one of them they would risk starving or having to move from ancestral land. The whole thing had been caused by Road Pig tearing down the farming on the lands that had previously been granted to Trader Quicksilver’s family, thus leaving him and his family with no means of supporting themselves save for the new grant. 

It was a situation that should never have come about. Megatron listened intently as each mech spoke their side of the story once he was finished reading the facts, then sent the families off to the waiting room once more and ordered pages to go fetch information on noble Road Pig’s land grants. If they had any updated information at all… 

Honestly, Quicksilver had hoped for a quick solution, just something so he knew what to do. Stay or move… but he did respect that the Warlord did not want to take a biased decision and left quietly with his family. He had no wish to start a dispute with the other Trader but had felt that he had no choice at all!

Optronix watched the entire thing silently, studying, considering. It was a problem he had never heard of in his own city-state, but then, the Council had always been good about keeping that information sorted… It was surprising, regardless, that Megatron would allow such a small thing to grace his personal audience room. Surprising, and pleasing in an odd way…

As the two traders left with their families in tow, he cautiously reached out to touch Megatron’s arm, silently asking for his attention.

Surprise briefly crossed Megatron’s face plates but he placed his own free hand over the small blue one and delivered the last few orders to his people before turning to his mate-to-be. He would have liked to have paid instant attention to him but this was somewhat time sensitive; Road Pig’s lands were more than a cycle’s travel away. 

“What is it, lovely one?” He smiled, trying to convey his apology without actually saying it.

Optronix offered a tentative smile of his own, understanding that the warlord had important business to attend, and asked, “Can I see a map of the area this dispute is taking place in, please?” He wasn’t sure how much good it would do him, but he wanted to see what they were dealing with for himself, if nothing else. If he could make a suggestion, then all the better!

“Of course, the pages are fetching the newest we have right now.” Squeezing the small hand gently once, Megatron let go of it. He did not intend to overstay his welcome even in such a small thing.

“I hope you don’t find this too boring or inconsequential, I try to be reachable by all classes of Kaonites… many cases never reach me, they are settled in the city courts, but as you see there are things that only I can settle for only I can command the nobles.”

“Thank you…” Optronix said, smile warming a little bit, involuntarily. “It’s not boring, although I think it wrong that your nobles would push such things on you when they’re perfectly capable of handling it themselves!” It showed neglect, and that was simply unacceptable!

“Noble Road Pig should have been handling this himself, yes… I have had trouble from him before. It is perhaps time for more drastic measures to be used.” Megatron preferred education over the more severe punishments but Road Pig had had enough chances as it were… First he would see to this one case and then… then it was time that the noble attended court for a time. 

“I hope it will be possible to solve this without having to move either family, we shall see when the… Ah here! Thank you, Page Freon.” Taking the map pad from the young page, who looked rather stunned that his name was remembered, Megatron turned it on and shifted it to the relevant maps.

“See this? The colored areas denote both crops and what traders are allowed to bargain for the yield of said crops. This was Trader Quicksilver’s and this is the area in contest now.” Showing the map to Optronix, he huffed in aggravation; the information was clearly outdated!

Optronix watched the exchange with surprise and a little pleasure, but took the map and studied it without preamble when Megatron’s attention was back on him, tracing the different spots almost absently as his mind whirled with mixed thoughts of the Warlord’s attention to detail and any possible solution to the predicament the two traders were now in. After a few moments, he sat back and gave a soft huff, the pad lying limply against his thigh. Where did he even begin with all the questions he had?

“We have an updated map coming, right? And preferably a list of traders who deal with noble Road Pig’s lands. I don’t think there is much we can do without both of them if you want to be able to keep both families where they are now.”

“The information is coming as fast as possible, but it all depends on whether or not noble Road Pig is willing to be informative. If need be I will have him arrested and the information forcibly taken… Which reminds me.” Megatron turned from the smaller mech, hand resting lightly on his shoulder to indicate that he would pay attention to him again in a moment.

“Lord Chamberlain, go speak to the treasury; I want enough withdrawn for the Traders and their families to stay here and be able to afford what the need. They should not suffer loss from this.” Both families were already strained most likely…

The Chamberlain bowed and dismissed himself to do as ordered, leaving Optronix feeling even more stunned than before. Megatron was going to allow the two family units to stay in the palace while this was all sorted out? Either he was putting up a really impressive front, or he was honestly like that all the time… From the look of the servants and advisors around the room, it was not that uncommon an occurrence though. No one had so much as looked up at his announcement! It certainly made it hard not to at least like the mech, much as he had tried to do the exact opposite since his arrival to Kaon…

“Apologies, lovely one, I forget that often enough and usually the Lord Chamberlain is good about reminding me, but there is no reason in delaying it.” Nodding, more to himself then to Optronix, Megatron bent to look at the map Optimus still held. 

“This will not be easy; if Road Pig has eliminated as much of his farming land as this seems to suggest…” He wasn’t talking about the map but about the case of the two traders, but assumed that the red and blue mech would know that. 

Road Pig’s lands were not among the biggest because he had been a Creation of a noble pair that chose to divide their holdings between their four Creations rather than giving it all to the oldest and educating the others to positions on the holding, he explained to Optronix. He had had no problems with the other three Creations, two older and one younger than Road Pig.

“I… I understand. You have a lot to take care of…” It just surprised him, but he wouldn’t dare be rude enough to say so! Instead, Optronix held the pad at a more comfortable angle for Megatron and said, “And if he has, a relocation may be necessary, but perhaps with a list of all the others who trade from his lands, we can find one who would be more willing and less hurt by the loss of wherever they are now? It’s certainly not going to be solved overnight…”

“It is illegal for a noble to close down more than thirty percent of his land for his own use… and few close down more than ten; more is not needed! I cannot fathom what is going on here…” Megatron was genuinely puzzled, but Road Pig would suffer if the people that looked to him suffered… 

A page came rushing in with a data pad in hand, bowed and gave it to the Warlord before staggering to a seat by the wall to recover from his hasty travel. Poor youngling, one of the new ones… not yet used to running. Signaling another page to get the younger some energon, he looked over the pad and cussed lowly. The polite request for further information had been declined… 

“Lord Chamberlain, dispatch a contingency of the palace guard! They are to arrest noble Road Pig… have them bring a team of alleviators and accountants.” Everything would have to be looked through, evaluated… Road Pig might not be able to hold at all, and that meant even more work for them all. Over one small dispute between merchants that really should have been better cared for!

Optronix didn’t have to glance at the Lord Chamberlain to know he had bowed and opened a comm. frequency to make the order a reality, but he did anyway, briefly, before returning his attention to Megatron. “Perhaps he found some better use for it. What, I cannot imagine… But what will happen to his lands and all the people on them if his status is revoked? I would hate to see them homeless from their supposed provider’s neglect…” 

“The people on it will be compensated for his doings and if at all possible will be staying right where they are. In this case his lands are directly up against that of his three brothers… it can be shared equally between them, if they all check out, naturally. If all else fail the lands will go to a younger Creation of another noble family, one who will have to prove himself to me in order to take that position!” Such things happened rarely but they did happen and making contingency plans for them were always a smart thing. Megatron had had those plans in place for vorns.

“You are right that this will not be solved this cycle… Lord Chamberlain, are there any other petitions that need my attention this joor?” There might be, but he was pretty sure that the nature of this one had put it on last.

Optronix smiled a little in spite of himself. Megatron had already had it all thought out… He planned for these things and seemed determined to take care of his people and allowed for as little upstart on their lives as he possibly could. Quick, efficient, and firm… The young Iaconian was nothing if not thoroughly impressed and, he could admit to himself, a little awed. He could certainly see it becoming all too easy to let go of his anger toward the mech…

“No, my Lord, there are no more and we should take this to the council chambers.” If the tone seemed a little firm for that of a mere servant, well then the listening mech did not know the Warlord. Megatron smiled gratefully, knowing there would be fuel for the long dark cycle ahead as well as comfortable chairs and help from those that knew the different aspects of this better then he could ever hope to.

“Do you wish to join me, Optronix? Ah… there is also the matter of you choosing your chassis guards, do you wish to think on it or choose now?” He hoped he would choose to go with him, at least for a little. As for the guards, it would not be a bad idea for the young mech to think over his choices. His optics fell on the guards in question, guards-to-be, most of them were already guards at the palace but a few of them had traveled long to be here… there were plenty of berths, no need to send them home with no answer.

“Ah? I would like to think… They all seem fine choices, but… I need to consider my options for an orn or two, if that’s okay?” Optronix asked. “And I want to help if I am able, and learn more about this city-state’s laws as well.” He doubted he would have any worthwhile input at this point, but there would come a time where he would need to take charge in Megatron’s place, for whatever reason, so he may as well start learning as soon as he could!

“It is not a problem, I would always recommend that you think before making such a choice, and if you wish to you can meet them in a more private setting later. And I invited you for that reason; you are very welcome to come.” Megatron offered his arm to the young mech.

The Iaconian native smiled shyly and took Megatron’s arm with a light, barely there touch. Yes, it was definitely hard to dislike the mech when he was always so kind… Not that he was trying very hard at the moment, Optronix could admit to himself, to find things to dislike about his mate-to-be.

* * *

A couple of orns later found Optronix sitting nervously in front of the terminal in his chambers, much as his uncle, far away, was doing the same at the terminal in his office. They both tried to hide it though, not wanting it to show when they were finally allowed to see one another! 

Ratbat was feeling far jitterier then he had thought he would. Everything about the… _mechnapping_ of his nephew had thrown him into emotional turmoil that he would have been unable to control if it had not been for Skater. Glancing at his mate-to-be’s retreating back, he vented softly and then looked back at the blank screen. He would soon know if Optronix was okay…

With a small beep, the connection was active, revealing Optronix, who looked quite nervous despite his best efforts, but still happy to see his uncle. He floundered for a moment over what title to use before deciding it didn’t really matter, and murmured a soft, familiar greeting. “H-hello, uncle…” What else was he to say? They had not really had any chance to talk since Ratbat’s last visit, and all of a sudden, this had happened…

“Optronix? Nephew… you look good?” He did, clean and healthy. Not really unhappy… Ratbat smiled carefully, unfamiliar with showing affection. He had to learn that again, everything all over… He really hoped that both Skater and Optronix would be patient with him.

That garnered a bigger smile from the younger mech. “As do you, uncle. Even better than the last time I saw you, I think.” Not at all a hard feat; that simple little smile had improved Ratbat’s appearance tenfold in the span of two astroseconds! It had been so long since he saw such an expression on the mech’s face that he had almost thought it gone forever… What had changed?

“Thank you. Are they treating you well?” It felt stilted, but that was how all their conversations had always been. He didn’t even know how to speak with the only family he had left…

“Ah… Yes? I mean, I am treated with care and consideration! But everything here is… it’s so different, uncle,” Optronix admitted. “And it’s so unsettling to online and know that I can’t just see you and my friends whenever we have time. But Lord Megatron is always kind to me. I sat in on an audience with him just recently, even, and he listened to what little input I could provide and explained things to me when I didn’t understand…”

“I wish it hadn’t had to be so abrupt…” Ratbat halted, he couldn’t really say anything more, there was nothing he could do, could have done.

“So the Warlord is polite… n-nice?”

Optronix nodded. “Very much so. And he’s good with his people, at least that I’ve seen so far…” Even in casual conversation, Megatron was a little more straightforward than he was used to, but quite considerate of the effect his words would have on those around him. “I still don’t know his reason for choosing me though… He seems to avoid the subject like one would avoid the Rust! I don’t think bringing up the suddenness would garner much better response.”

“Likely not… um, I have… news?” Which he was not at all sure how to deliver but thought important to deliver soon, rather than delay it or risk that Optronix might hear from an outside source. 

“I don’t want you to feel abandoned or… less important but I feel it is important you know this soon.” Ratbat felt awkward and unsure even as he said the words.

Those words were more than enough to make Optronix nervous, regardless of how Ratbat tried to reassure him. The first thing he could think to ask was out of his vocalizer before he could properly digest the information.

“You’re not moving away, are you?”

“Moving? Oh no… I am, that is…” Ratbat swallowed nervously, he was pretty sure Optronix would be happy for him but there was always a chance he wouldn’t be so. A chance that he might get angry. 

“I am going to bond Skater.”

“You’re… going… I’m, um, I’m sorry. What? Skater?” Skater was his assistant! Not a… well, he could be? Optronix tried to fit his head around the image, and failed. “… What happened?”

“Ah… well, um…” Ratbat felt himself flush with heat, something he hadn’t done in front of another for vorns…

“I was… distressed when you were taken and Skater put some drastic tactics in use to get me to calm down…” Maybe he would tell the younger mech just what had happened one orn but not now! Who knew who was listening in?

“I have always been glad for him but… this is more, this is honest affection, more than that even though I am wary of saying those words.”

A grin blossomed on Optronix’s faceplates without his consent. “He took the initiative, then? Aside from the fact that I cannot help but laugh at the potential scenarios, I am just glad that it seems to have made you happy. But I’m also sorry that I caused you such stress, even if it wasn’t my fault…”

“Ah yes… indeed he did.” ‘And he was very good at it’, Ratbat’s smile turned a little sly as he remembered what had then transpired. 

“Do not worry, nephew, I am simple relieved that I was able to talk to you. I have been… worried for your reception among the Kaonites… they are very unlike Iaconians.”

“They have actually been quite welcoming. I do not quite understand it, but I can only assume it is because they want Warlord Megatron to be happy… He is very good with them, as I said.” Optronix fidgeted a little bit and glanced down at his lap. “It is not the bonding I had wanted for myself, but it could have been much worse, too, so I have no complaints.”

“It is not the bonding I wanted for you… but it is a great honor.” Ratbat huffed, not at all sure that was any consolation. 

“You have not found out who your… suitor was?” It was a long shot, what noble wouldn’t back off if their ruler took an interest in their intended. And Optronix’s courtship had not been official in any manner.

Optronix shook his head. “No, uncle. I… I am sure he knows what has become of me by now though. I shall just have to hope that I can meet him some orn and be friends with him…” He was sure that Megatron would allow it, or at least mostly sure. He did not seem like he would become overly possessive after their coming bonding… 

“I see. Well, that does sound like the Warlord is a fair mech…” It still did not change the fact that he wanted his nephew to be happy, like he was. For once he felt that the universe and the gods had dealt an unfair hand. How did he have a right to be happy when his nephew had been robbed of his free choice and happiness? 

On the other hand, one had to trust the gods and if all was true then the Warlord had been sent by the words of the gods, from the Oracle of Praxus.

“I think that he is. But I am sorry, uncle… I would love to talk more, but it is late here and I must recharge soon. Will I get to talk to you again in the near future?” Optronix hoped they would be able to find a coinciding time that they could sit and talk, even for just a breem or two!

“It is getting late for you,” the purple mech agreed with a small nod as he checked their times against one another. “I will call you again, or you can call me? I don’t mind it if you pull me out of a cycle, if you need to talk I will be here!” Ratbat smiled at his nephew, relieved and nervous on his behalf both.

Optronix smiled in return, though he tried to smother the tinge of longing and homesickness that swelled in his spark at the same time. “Thank you, uncle. I will try to call you again soon! Hopefully with happier news than I’ve been able to offer this time around… I think I will be allowed to see a bit more of the city soon, so I will be able to tell you about that if Warlord Megatron permits it!” he said, a bit of excitement reentering his tone.

“Be safe, nephew, and may Primus light your path.” 

Ratbat signed off, reluctant and relieved all at once. He could do nothing for Optronix right now other than let the young mech have his rest. At least he really did look healthy and calm. Sounded about as happy as anyone could expect him to sound considering everything…

“And I need to go work, and to tell Skater that Optronix approves.” The last made him quirk his dermas a little.

* * *

“So, have you chosen any of the potential guards yet?” Megatron found himself asking, just to make conversation with the young Iaconian early the next orn as they sat down for a rare meal together.

The lithe mech shrugged a little, still rubbing at his faceplates in an attempt to loosen the stiffened plating, and plucked a couple of small cubes from the serving dish on the table and began drinking one. Recharge had come swiftly after the talk with Ratbat, and sunk deep into his chassis… Needless to say, he had not wanted to get out of berth this orn!

Megatron did not want to pressure the young Iaconian into choosing his chassis guards, but he was expected to do so. It was yet another tradition to observe, a way for the outlander to show appreciation and acceptance of his new home… in ancient times, it had been a show of skill. Several mechs would be presented and the mech choosing would have to weed out those unsuited for the task of protecting via a series of ‘games’. Optronix would not have to do that, thankfully!

“If you feel you need more time to choose among them, tell me so?” he nevertheless asked the smaller mech between sips of his own cube.

Optronix frowned a little and forced himself to wake enough to participate in the conversation. He pulled his datapad out of subspace and activated it while he talked, searching for the relevant files.

“I’ve, um… I have given it much consideration and I can think of one that I would definitely like to have protecting me,” he said softly while pulling up a picture and basic profile of one of the mechs who were available to join his guard. “Designation: Hydradread. He’s a bit more sinister than I’m used to, but his ability to build a strategy quickly and efficiently and his scientific knowledge well outweighs that bit of his personality.”

“He is a good choice, well trained and well educated.” Megatron let the comment about being ‘sinister’ go. Most Kaonites were dark and lethal looking, even if they had peaceful jobs like energon blender or gardener – it was just how their core coding worked. The Iaconian had somewhat of a hard time getting used to this.

“Yes, that’s what I read,” Optronix agreed, inordinately pleased that Megatron seemed to like his choice. “He seems quite well suited for the task. But, uh, are there more that I can interview at a later date? I would like to know all of my options before I make any more choices because while I’m sure of Hydradread, I don’t feel that I could say the same of any of the others we interviewed…”

“Of course. Or now, if you wish? It is important for you to choose mechs that you feel are trustworthy.” Because in the end, lives were saved by trust as much as by skill. Megatron knew this, as any warrior knew it. Optronix was still a little too young to have learned that lesson, however, though he did hold great promise.

Optronix gave Megatron a short look, and then shrugged again. “If they are available now, I would not object to another interviewing…” he replied. “And then I would like another audience with Hydradread, that I may speak with him some more on the subject of being my chassis guard?”

“There are some from Hydradread’s village, they came late but that does not have to mean anything bad… and of course you may talk to those you wish to know more about.” Megatron smiled, finding the young mech’s attempt at balance between personal desires and the foreign dance of politics utterly adorable. Optronix did not need to dance, but for now… yes, for now. 

He summoned the Lord Chamberlain to them with a short comm. call, and obtained a series of datapads from the mech while Optronix finished refueling. He sorted though them until he had the three relevant ones on top and then ordered one of the smaller audience chambers readied for his mate-to-be’s use. 

“Do you wish my presence or is this something you want to do on your own?”

“I…” Optronix started, then paused, considering. He was safe here, he knew… So even if he would feel more secure with Megatron’s presence, he was his own person and he needed to show that!

“I would like to do this on my own? I might request some time with you to discuss some of them, but… I am capable.”

“Of course.” Megatron nodded, both satisfied and disgruntled. Optronix needed to show independence to gain respect, along with the ability to stand his ground and fight. So this was a good thing, but he still would have liked to help… for purely personal reasons that had no place here.

Smiling gratefully, Optronix took the pads from Megatron’s grasp and got up, his optics averted shyly. “Thank you. Will I see you at last meal?”

“Unless something unforeseen happens, I will be there.” He tried to be there every last meal but it just wasn’t always possible, much to his displeasure. Megatron smiled at the smaller mech for a long moment more and then turned back to the table and his own energon.

Optronix nodded in understanding and bowed slightly before excusing himself to tend to his duties, such as they were. It was important to find his guards, because then he would be able to go out a little more without getting in trouble… It would certainly take a lot of getting used to though!

After he interviewed the late candidates, Optronix had his meeting with Hydradread, and felt that that went quite well, all things considered. Since it was only the first meeting, he didn’t discuss any other potential guards with the mech, but he was still fairly certain by the end that the scientist would make a good protector for him nevertheless. He was so busy with his meetings and internal debates, however, that he did not realize how late it had gotten until his tanks decided to complain at the lack of fresh fuel, and he grimaced instinctively when he also remembered that he had asked if Megatron would be at last meal. And here he was, so distracted that he hadn’t been able to make it…

Briefly, he contemplated just waiting until morning to refuel, but didn’t see the point of going to recharge any more miserable than he had to be, so he instead slunk his way down to the kitchen to see if any of the servants were still up and about so that he could get a cube to take with him to his chambers.

Maybe it was for the best, he thought, that he didn’t see Megatron this eve, because it was hard enough to think of what to talk about with him as it was… He didn’t want to strain their relationship any more than necessary before they could find some kind of middle ground.

Not that he was entirely sure of what their relationship was at the moment… The Warlord wasn’t making it easy to figure out, with how… how _not_ impersonal he acted sometimes. Like he genuinely cared how Optronix felt about everything on more than just a ‘I need this to work out for our city-states’ type of way.

Optronix bit his derma and put the thought from his mind. He had enough to think about already, and he just wasn’t ready to confront anything regarding Megatron yet, honestly. There would be plenty of time for that later. Preferably after energon and recharge and play time with his drone, while he waited to be summoned for something else…


	13. Training and dinner...

Optronix had not yet arrived at the training arena by the time Megatron began his training; still, the Warlord decided not to use his swords this orn. The Iaconian had been here long enough to know that weapons were highly individualized, and he had told him of his swords in the letters… 

Instead, he hefted a massive two-handed training sword against three opponents – his own chassis guards sans the field medic. It was normal enough to train with them, enough so that it was more a dance than anything. They knew each other’s style and it showed in the lack of hesitation. This was, of course, also aided by the fact that it was training weapons they wielded.

Optronix, with Scorponok leading the way with happy little chitters and a palace guard at his side, found his way to the arena to watch the training session that had been scheduled to begin a few breems before. It was something he had greatly looked forward to since it’s offering, and he couldn’t help but smile in anticipation as he was directed toward an ornate staircase leading to the spectator box.

The mock fight was well on its way by the time he was settled in one of the provided seats with his helm propped on his folded arms against the rail, and he was immediately entranced with the swift, flawless movements of each opponent, to the extent that he did not notice when his drone skittered off to elsewhere in the stands instead of perching in his usual spot on Optronix’s own shoulder. Megatron, especially, drew his optics and he shamelessly admired the mech’s skill as he dispatched each of his guards with what would be killing moves if not for the practice swords they bore.

“Well done,” Megatron complimented his opponents as was fit, and deserved, bowing shallowly to them before putting the training sword back in the weapons rack. He contemplated his choices for a moment, well aware that his most important audience had arrived. A flashy performance versus a show of skills… finally he picked a staff weapon with blunt-edged blades in each end. Why not a bit of both?

“Perhaps the drones would like to train this cycle?” It was only a suggestion, but he wanted Optronix to see what a fully trained adult drone could do. 

His medic, Breakdown, rose from his seat on the bench at the side of the arena floor and let his Felidea drone come out from its hiding space on his back in answer. The mech’s brothers let their own drones go and Megatron felt how Scavenger disconnected from his back, crawling up to perch on his shoulder. The flier that belonged to the smallest and most brightly colored of his chassis guards, Drag Strip, took wing with an audio splitting screech as Dead End’s Felidea slipped free of him and paced slowly, its optics taking in the conglomeration of opponents with a keenness that was not visible in its owner’s expression. A second Scorponox model, belonging to the last of the four, Wildrider, chattered excitedly as it scrambled on top of its owner’s helm and seemed to wave enthusiastically.

Smiling ferally, he ordered, “Blunt and staff weapons only.” His opponents obliged.

As if he could be any more interested than he already was, and then Megatron went and suggested _that_ … Optronix scooted his seat closer to the rail and climbed onto it so he could kneel, determined to get into an even better position to watch from. He had almost forgotten that drones were often used as battle partners as well as companions. And now he would get to see all three types in action at once? Primus, he would hardly know where to put his optics!

He was practically hanging off the rail as the combatants took their stances, though he noticed that each was slightly altered to make room for their drones. It was subtle things, like how Megatron distributed his weight or how the bright yellow guard, Drag Strip, seemed to hang back slightly from the others… But they were still noticeable nonetheless. His training wasn’t for nothing! Kup would have been proud.

Two Scorponox, two Felidea and one Avisea drone was enough to make any fight interesting, and these five knew how to train together with their bondpartners. They knew to not bite through armor, to not rip armor off with their claws. They were as highly trained as their bondpartners and all of them had been with said bondpartners from a very young age, which meant that they were perfectly camouflaged to appear a part of their bondpartner until they could spring into action. 

Megatron was quite proud that he could provide such a display for his Intended, and hoped that Optronix would be able to appreciate it for what it was. Drag Strip’s drone dived and that signaled the start of the match. It was free for all more than a coordinated effort to take him down and he ended up before Breakdown and the two Felidea drones, Scavenger out of commission and having a mutual sulk with Wildrider’s drone within a few breems. 

He mock scowled at the blue and white Kaonite. “How come it always ends with the two of us?” 

“Because, my lord, I know every weakness on my brother’s frames.” Breakdown didn’t take the bait, signaling for Silverfang to ignore Bluespike and concentrate on Megatron.

Breakdown was the field medic, Optronix thought to himself while his optics drank in the scene before him. Despite that, he was no slouch in combat, so it was no surprise that he would be able to defeat his brothers if necessary, at least when it came to mock-battles such as this one. But Megatron was also adept and should be able to hold his own…

A small (but growing) part of the young Iaconian couldn’t resist thinking that Megatron would stand a better chance if he was down there as well. He wasn’t on par with any of these mechs just yet, but someday he would be, and then he could stand side-by-side with Megatron if and when the need arose without fear of hindering him! It was a pleasing thought, but not one that would help the other mech win, so Optronix put it from his mind in favor of focusing back on the seeming stalemate in the arena. How would Megatron get himself out of this? _Could_ he? 

“Indeed…” Breakdown also knew every weakness on his chassis, which Megatron was well aware of. It was a good thing that few medics liked taking lives, for they would be terrifying assassins. But he digressed, better to pay attention to the staff wilding, drone supported medic in front of him. 

“Well, medic, should we end it?” 

“Of course, my lord.”

Contrary to his words, Breakdown still took his sweet time about it and when the strike came it was a surprise. Megatron fought his very best with the somewhat unfamiliar weapon he wielded and in the end they took each other ‘down’; Silverfang and Bluespike were the nominated victors of the scenario.

The more vindictive side of Optronix’s thoughts felt validated by the fact that even if Megatron hadn’t won, he hadn’t allowed Breakdown to do so either. Regardless, it was hilarious to see the two Felideas prancing proudly, obviously pleased by their victory over their masters and everyone else.

He caught Megatron’s optics and waved in greeting as the mechs below were putting away their weapons some time and a few smaller training matches later, a smile on his dermas. He really hoped he would be able to discuss this with the Kaonite once they were finished, regardless of who had taken the prize this time around. He wanted to give his own words of admiration and discuss things he might have done differently and just talk in general about the entire session, or at least what he had seen of it!

Someone entering the arena proper distracted the younger mech though, and he frowned subconsciously when the mech rushed to approach the Warlord, a datapad in his hands and a scowl visible on his features even from this distance. They exchanged a few words before Megatron took the pad, and Optronix had the sinking feeling that he would be returning to the palace alone when a similar scowl stole over his mate-to-be’s features as well.

Of course this would happen this of all cycles! Megatron scowled darkly at the data pad but knew better than to ‘kill the messenger’. Normally his temper wasn’t this frayed but it seemed the Holy Triad was determined to tease him and his Intended both. Speaking of…

Megatron turned and looked up at the spectator stand, meeting the blue optics of his Intended with a regretful glance. The meeting could not wait… 

Turning his gaze back to the poor page who had brought the datapad. he asked him to take care of his mate and then ordered his chassis guards with him. He did take one last look at Optronix, dermas pulled into a sad frown.

The Iaconian noble sighed softly and waved a rather depressed farewell, and then slumped in his seat as Megatron and his guards departed at speed. He tried to remain neutral as the page climbed up to the box and bowed before asking if he was ready to return to the palace, but wasn’t so sure that he had pulled it off when the mech also gave him an apologetic look. Before he could think deeper on that, he nodded and got up, calling for Scorponok to return to him. The drone did so, looking even more dejected than he felt. Most likely because Scavenger had also had to leave, but at least he could go and visit the other drone whenever he wanted without fear of most responsibilities getting in the way… And he wasn’t on a time crunch to get to know Scavenger before a quickly coming bonding ceremony! Drones had it so fragging easy…

Once he was returned to the palace, he dismissed the page and headed for his rooms. He could get some reading or something done while he waited for evening meal to roll around, if nothing else!

Not much reading or anything of the sort was done though; Optronix’s processors kept getting dragged back to the training session, reviewing it over and over again in his mind. They had all been so sure of themselves, especially when they were all against one another… They used fake weapons, but that didn’t seem to factor into their fighting at all. They went for all the soft spots, took any opening available to them, gave no mercy and expected none in return… It had been both awe inspiring and terrifying.

Despite his distracted thoughts, the red and blue mech did remember to go to evening meal on time in the hopes that Megatron would be there that dark cycle. Aside from the training session, he had a list of potential candidates that he really wanted to discuss with the mech.

Megatron was not too late for this cycle’s last meal but he was not in a good mood. While he felt there had been some progress, that he had won a space in his Intended’s processor if not yet in his spark, the unscheduled break in their plans had left him back on uncertain ground. He needed to be in his Intended’s processor, needed for Optronix to have a place both for the warlord and for the suitor he thought he had lost. But for that to happen, he needed to be able to follow through on the plans they made…

“Good dark cycle, Optronix.” Nodding to a page, Megatron walked over to settle in his seat.

“Good dark cycle,” Optronix replied, smiling a little bit though from relief or happiness or both, he didn’t contemplate. He fiddled with his half finished cube and looked anywhere but at the Warlord. “I was beginning to think you weren’t going to be able to make it.” He knew that there would be lots of nights like this, of course, sometimes for groons on end! But that did not make him any happier about refueling alone when he had once had a group of friends no matter the time or date to spend refuels with… 

“I too was not entirely sure… This is not what I had wished for our last meal.” Megatron settled down, accepting his cube from the page and took a long drink. He was hungry and mentally exhausted both from the intense meeting, his worry and the emotional upheavals that had gone with both. 

“Had it been in any way possible, I would have let the summons wait till next light cycle.” But it had not been possible, he was the only one who could make choices about his nobles…

“If you wish… It was about Road Pig…” Optronix had shown great interest in the case of the two merchant families, so he might be interested in this, too.

“Oh! You should have said– I would have gladly gone with you! But I probably wouldn’t have been of much use to you this time, of course… ah…” Flustered, Optronix gestured nervously with his hands and then tucked them into his lap, embarrassed by his forwardness and presumptuousness. He very much would have liked to be there for that case; he wanted to make sure that everything turned out okay! But he could understand that Megatron had probably not wanted the distraction and burden of his presence during such an important meeting…

“I wish I could have had you there. You deserved it for the help you gave with the trader families… But as long as you are not my co-ruler there are things you cannot be a part of. Deciding if a noble should have his titles and land taken is one of them.” Gently turning Optronix’s head he pressed a kiss to his helmet and then let go again. He would have liked to hear his opinions, liked to have seen the case through his optics even if the outcome was a given considering the information that had been found. 

“Do not sell yourself short, Intended, you have a bright processor and the will to do good. I will be a lucky mech should you come to care even a little for me…”

Optronix smiled a little bit and ducked his helm. Of course, he had forgotten about that… there were still so many restrictions until the bonding ceremony! But he would have still liked to be there.

“Well… It won’t be long before I can assist you, at least. But tell me how it went, please? Was everything sorted out?”

“Sorted is debatable… some digging was done in Road Pig’s affairs and he has been removed from the lines of the nobles.” He was a commoner now, his family was forbidden to help him and he had been moved to live at the estate of a noble who had no reason to help him, nor a reason to hate him. Such was the law. 

“His brothers have been given charge over his lands, together, in the hopes that their combined abilities will be able to right the wrongs he has done. I am not terribly pleased that he could wreak so much havoc without someone reacting!” Displeasure was evident in his tone and Megatron had to pause and calm himself with a conscious effort. It was a failure that was hard to take though, as he made every effort to be available to both commoners and nobles. As much as any one mech could be…

It had to be terribly hard to see such things and know the evils of one’s own city-state so intimately… Megatron was so strong, to be able to endure it alone, that Optronix almost couldn’t restrain his instinctive response to offer to be there in any way he could right then. It would be an empty gesture, no matter how well meant, and he knew it so he bit his glossa to keep the words at bay.

Instead, he reached over and covered Megatron’s much larger hand with his own, offering what comfort he could with the gesture. “I hope, too, that they will be able to find a solution for this… You’ve done what you could though, so please rest easy with that in processor?”

“I wish I could do more, despite knowing better. It is a personal flaw.” Megatron quirked a smile that was mostly not bitter. The main problem was that a lot of nobles still thought that their beholden commoners could be used as little more than paid slaves. He needed to change that attitude, through example and through laws… and yet he also had to remember that his nobles needed to be able to control their own lands. It required a delicate balance indeed. 

“It would help if proper education could be brought to all, noble and commoner alike. But such a system is difficult to build and I have few other city-states to model after…”

“Ah…” Optronix made that small sound and then faltered briefly before forging onward. There was no wrong in making promises that he _could_ keep! “I could help? And I’m sure that once I’m able to talk to Perceptor again, he would have lots of knowledge on how to get an idea like that off the ground as well.”

“I would be glad of your help and that of your friends.” It was not much of a thank you, but Megatron knew all too well that Optronix might still reject him. Only time would tell… 

“Until such times… might you tell me of something to take my processor off this?”

“What should I talk abo…” Optronix started to ask, but trailed off thoughtfully as an idea occurred to him. “Erm, I have a… a list of the guards now? Or at least a group of likely candidates… I was quite impressed with all of those mechs from the same village as Hydradread, and there were a couple of others that also caught my optic.” Optronix let go of Megatron’s hand with a parting caress and fumbled for his datapad so that he could draw up the necessary files, as was becoming a habit, it seemed. 

“You have been busy then, I am impressed.” And he was, since he had gotten the rather distinct impression that Optronix was not at ease with having chassis guards. At least, he had seemed unhappy about getting Kaonite ones… that might be because even most of the small Kanoites were larger than him of course. In fact that was most likely the reason considering the young Iaconian’s accepting nature in all other matters.

The Iaconian noble smiled, a warm flush of joy and accomplishment spreading through him at Megatron’s words. It was nothing extravagant, but coming from Megatron, it didn’t have to be… He sounded sincere, and that in itself was cause for excitement!

He held out his datapad to the warlord and indicated the mechs he had chosen for himself. “These are the ones, but… I’m still not sure of how things work here, but do you think it possible to have them put on a demonstration for me, that I may pick from them more confidently? They all look wonderful in words and speech but I would very much like to see them in action, too.” 

“Of course! It would have been done that way, you will be considered wise for asking…” Wise beyond his vorns, many of the advisors would be pleased and calmed at this show of sense. 

“I will arrange for it, it will be much like what you saw… though you will have to ask your weapons teacher if you are ready to train with them. In that I have no power.” None at all, he had given all of that over because it was unwise for him to attempt to train his Intended, on several levels.

Optronix nodded in understanding as he took another drink of his energon. “I’ll do that after I’ve chosen my guards and had their skills evaluated. And thank you. I know you’re busy, but even if I had wanted to, I don’t know who else to ask.”

“I am never too busy for you… even if it may seem that way.” Megatron kept from reaching for his Intended only by willing himself not to. He could not wait ‘til the orn that nothing needed to be hidden anymore, personal or ruling wise. For the time where he would no longer shoulder the burden of decisions on his own.

The Iaconian wondered at the truth of such a statement, but didn’t question Megatron. If that was true, he would be grateful, but if not, he could understand. Running an entire city-state was hard work, after all! And running it well, as Megatron seemed to…

Optronix huffed and pushed those thoughts aside. “Thank you,” he said again. “That’s about all that I have to report; the rest of my orn was pretty uneventful.”

“You don’t have to ‘report’ to me, Optronix.” This time he did reach out, gently turning the smaller mech’s head to face him. 

“I want to know about you, learn about you. Not hear what you feel obligated to tell; there is… no force in my questions. Please…” He couldn’t finish, didn’t know what to say to make it clear what he wanted. Megatron let his hand fall again, feeling awkward in a way he hadn’t felt for vorns.

Sheer force of will kept Optronix from gaping like an idiot, but those words… So close to what his suitor had said in response to that habitual line… It was hard not to question it, but logically, anyone wanting his affection would not ask for something so… formal. The young noble bit his derma and nodded in acquiescence, optics averted shyly. It was hard not to be embarrassed and nervous when the Warlord behaved in such an earnest manner, everything else aside!

The rest of the meal was uncomfortably awkward though Megatron couldn’t quite pinpoint why. He tried to apologize for what he might have said wrong but it did not go over well, seeming to make the situation even tenser. In fact it was not till he had retired for the night that he realized he had almost paraphrased his own letter… that did make him feel incredibly stupid. Not that he had time to feel that way! He called one of his light cycle guards to him, Breakdown, to arrange for the requested demonstration of skill. 

It was a quick and easy meeting which mostly constituted him handing over the data pad and Breakdown glaring at him. His chassis guards knew him far too well…


	14. Picking those with the right stuff...

Optronix was up bright and early the next cycle at the request of a timid young page; the mechling said that Warlord Megatron bid him refuel and meet back at the training arena for the first demonstration of his potential chassis guards, which Optronix was more than happy to do. He thanked the servant and hurried to collect some fuel for himself and Scorponok, then returned to his room so that his drone could refuel while he gulped down his cube and took a quick shower. Not that he particularly needed it, but the warmth helped to awaken his chassis from the chilly air blowing in through the window he had left opened the night before. It would be nice to have a warm chassis to curl up against instead, since Kaon seemed to get colder than Iacon at this time of vorn…

The stray thought made the Iaconian blush furiously, but he composed himself well enough after he had dried and had Scorponok curled up in his arms. With a guard trailing after them in obvious amusement, Optronix rushed to the arena and all but bounded up to Megatron, a bright smile on his dermas. 

“Good light cycle, Megatron!” he greeted enthusiastically before bowing politely to the others gathered. “Good light cycle, everyone.” 

“Good light cycle, Optronix.” Megatron smiled at his Intended, happy to see that the disappointment of last orn had faded. He hoped it would become entirely forgotten soon, buried in pleasant memories. 

“If you would care to select the beginning pair? One of mine and one of those you want for yours.” He gestured at the small gathering before them, quite interested in who the young Iaconian would set against who.

Optronix blinked at the seemingly speedy progression of the orn’s events, and then considered his options obediently as he studied the mechs before him. Who would be well matched against who… and who wouldn’t? As he had said before, they all looked good on file, but how would they react in real situations? You could not always get your ideal opponent, after all!

“Ah… Wildrider and Aquablast,” he said at length, doing his very best to make it sound like an order and not a question seeking reassurance despite his wanting such. Aquablast was a resourceful medic, not unlike Megatron’s own medic, Breakdown, but he was also rather young for a guard, and had no prior experience worth noting in the career he was now pursuing… And Wildrider was, as his name suggested, wild and unpredictable. And he made creepy giggling sounds that Optronix felt sure were more to unnerve others than anything. All in all, he felt it was a good match.

That was an unusual beginning pair. Megatron didn’t let his surprise show and ignored the one quick look sent his way by Breakdown. There was nothing wrong with picking the medic for first show and while Wildrider was notoriously vicious in his testing of new personnel he wasn’t stupid. 

“Come with me, Optronix,” he said as he gestured the other to follow him. He didn’t bring him up into the spectator stands though, just took him over to the side of the arena. 

Aquablast was honestly surprised and a bit unsure; it seemed most of them where so at least he wouldn’t be blamed for somehow having stolen the young… yeah. He liked fighting but he had talent for repairs. This was the best way they could be combined as far as he could see. He wanted this job!

He had expected it to hinged more on personality than on abilities though. They had been told they would be taught alongside the Warlord’s Intended anyway.

Wildrider chuckled and bounced playfully on his pedes as his brothers and the chassis guard candidates moved to the sidelines along with the two lords. This would be fun! The poor mech pitted against him looked like he would keel over if he so much as looked at him wrong, but he had heard from Breakdown that the mech was actually quite courageous and skilled… Glancing at Megatron, he silently asked approval to begin the match.

Only vaguely paying attention to the retreating mechs, Aquablast looked at his opponent as critically as he could. Wildrider was a strongly built Kaonite, far from one of the biggest or heaviest but certainly bigger and heavier than him. His frame type had been heavily modified, better protection and thicker armor added, some of it probably naturally some of it done by a skilled medic. Still… there were weak points.

“Sir.” He bowed lightly and then fell into a defensive stance, waiting for whatever signal would begin the match. 

Megatron nodded at Wildrider and barked a short, “Begin!” This kind of thing was always interesting; he fully expected to see the would-be chassis guards beaten but that wasn’t the important bit. Potential, that was what they were looking for…

Wildrider had only just gotten a replying bow done before his lord’s order jolted him into action. Hand-to-hand with a noticeable size difference was more Drag Strip’s forte than his own, thanks to his brother’s lithe chassis and speed, but his skill was still enough to catch Aquablast momentarily off his guard. He caught the mech’s defensively upheld hands in his own and grinned before head-butting him hard enough to send them both tumbling, laughter spilling from his dermas as his center of gravity was spun wildly.

Optronix watched in awe as the two warriors rolled and broke apart. That had to have hurt! It certainly wasn’t a move he had expected, but that was what Wildrider was good at: surprise. Even so, he found himself hoping for a quick recovery for Aquablast so that he could see some of the mech’s skills before his inevitable defeat…

Show-off. Megatron’s dermas curled up in an unwilling smile. Wildrider often had that effect on him, even when he had to pay for one of the other’s fool stunts. That was a part of why he had been chosen so long ago… 

Damn! Damn, damn, frag, damn… Aquablast got up, decidedly more watchful now than he had been. That had hurt! But he supposed he had deserved it for being so uncertain. He shouldn’t let an unknown situation take him down like that! He was here to fight, to get a position doing what he’d always dreamed of doing for someone who really was worth the effort. 

He took his stance again but kept it loose this time, ready to sway with whatever his opponent would try to throw at him now.

So, the mech caught on quick, at least… Wildrider grinned and proceeded to circle the medic, contemplating his posture. He was inexperienced but not untalented, and guarded his weak spots well when he was trying to, but he needed to remember that most enemies would not give you more than one chance to defend yourself, and some wouldn’t even give that!

The royal chassis guard sprung again, feinting to the left and then right to confuse Aquablast so that he wouldn’t expect the punch that was aimed for his undefended flank.

Optronix internally cheered at Aquablast’s quick recovery, but remained reserved aside from a slight tightening of his hold on Scorponok, who complained and wiggled to be let go until the grip slackened, allowing it to fall to the floor. Once the drone was free, however, it proceeded to scale Megatron without so much as a thought as to whether the mech would mind or not, chirruping inquiringly. It was probably just going for Scavenger, so after a word of apology to Megatron, the Iaconian native focused on the match again.

Aquablast jumped back, only narrowly avoiding the hit that he hadn’t seen coming. The escape didn’t make him relax in the slightest though; he had two important roles if he got this job: keep his charge alive and well and keep his team alive and able to protect their charge. He would have to be able to fight but he had to stay alive to treat any that went down while defending the Iaconian. 

But he would have to keep back most of the time; he wasn’t supposed to be the aggressive one. And yet here he was in one-on-one combat… Was he supposed to attack or just show that he could stay alive? 

Watching the match thoughtfully, Megatron speculated on the passive role that the young Kaonite was taking. There could be many reasons and a good one certainly was to learn your opponent. The only problem with that was that it wouldn’t work on Wildrider; he never stuck to a pattern.

Wildrider, still grinning, decided it was a good time to give a small word of advice. “Good dodge there. You’ve got good reflexes, youngling. But those will only get you so far… You have to be proactive if you want to stay alive!” So saying, he attacked again, but with the intent to capture rather than injure this time.

“My job would be to keep my charge and my team alive. Proactive is not needed unless it’s a dire situation indeed!” Aquablast jumped forward and up, hoping to manage to clear out of Wildrider’s reach. He was not about to admit that the other scared him spark deep; he’d never even had an instructor able to be this… erratic. He hadn’t seen the lunge coming in the body pose or movements at all!

“Not needed?” Wildrider laughed. “Not _needed_? What is needed to make a mech fight for those he serves, those he cares about?” Following Aquablast, the chassis guard didn’t bother to restrain his normal jovial temperament as he answered his own question without pause. “A threat. Any threat. Eliminate the threats and your charge is safe. Don’t expect anyone else to be able to do it for you!” 

He caught the younger Kaonite and pinned him, one hand on the mech’s throat and the other poised above his spark chamber. With the flick of the second wrist, one of his arm knives deployed, coming to a rest with a sharp snick just micrometers from armor that would be so very, very easy to penetrate if this were a real battle and it was kill or be killed.

“I was a threat to your charge, and now I’ve killed you,” he said, tone light but optics serious. “I probably haven’t come alone, so chances are that if the rest of your team is as weak-willed as you’ve displayed yourself, they’re dead too, and soon Lord Optronix will meet his end, along with our Warlord. Game over!”

“I am not weak-willed!” Aquablast snarled lowly, glaring at the mech above him despite being aware of the knife nearly against his plating. “I’m doing what I was told my position would entail and you are far quicker than you should be.” He grimaced a little at the weight bearing down on him. This had gone abysmally bad… He didn’t know just how badly he had done but there was a good chance that he had lost his chance at the job he so badly wanted. He’d say it was unfair except he knew very well that life wasn’t fair and only the skilled survived it…

“I’m no quicker than I should be. In fact, I’d say I’m _slower_ than I should be, just so that you could stand a chance! Your position is whatever is needed of you, and much as a medic might be needed, a warrior is needed as well. Breakdown can kick all of our afts if he has a mind to, but his primary function is medic…” The blade retracted with a quiet ‘shink’ and Wildrider sat up so that he was straddling the other Kaonite. 

“If it was my choice, you would be sent home now, not even allowed the opportunity for a rematch,” he said, and gave those words a moment to sink in before casually adding, “If you appeal to Lord Optronix during the break, though, perhaps he’ll be merciful.” 

It was a long shot, but the red and black guard also found it hard to believe that anyone that had made it this far would just turn around and leave. And he really wouldn’t mind a rematch with this mech if it was demanded of him.

The remark and advice smarted more than the nick the blade had left in his armor. Of course he was going to try… but it didn’t make his failure to do as was expected any easier to swallow. Aquablast swallowed the urge to say something nasty and instead clamped his mouth shut, dermas thinning, and glared. He really hoped he hadn’t diminished the chances for his brothers… 

“The match goes to Wildrider.” Megatron was neither impressed nor disappointed. Ihe first match was never impressive and if the young mech knew what was good for him he would be asking to be allowed another match. Those here to be tested never really knew what would happen and so the first few hesitated and failed, it was natural. 

“Optronix?”

While Wildrider got up and helped Aquablast to his pedes, Optronix studied the rest of the candidates, but his thoughts weren’t quite on them. Aquablast had not performed to expectations at all! His record said he should be able to do so much better… Well, he would just have to see how the Kaonite dealt with the situation on his own. If he wasn’t that interested in becoming a chassis guard now, he would just leave, wouldn’t he? It was the only logical solution, much as he had been hoping for more. 

He sighed a little and, after a glance toward Megatron, contemplated the assembled mechs again before saying, “I’ll reserve my judgments until all matches are completed and all candidates have had their chance. Moving on to the next match, I would request Breakdown and Seawing.”

Another somewhat surprising pairing, Megatron wondered if this was done on purpose of it Optronix simply chose at random. Seawing would, if chosen, function in the manner that Drag Strip did… a little scout, a little assassin. 

Breakdown and Seawing entered the arena floor and bowed, and after a brief glance at Optronix Megatron nodded at them to begin.

Seawing wasted no time in attacking, feeling that it was his obvious duty to prove that he was far superior to the previous candidate. Really, medics were nothing if they weren’t familiar with their opponent, so it was no surprise that that one had lost! And he was too young, too inexperienced…

He, on the other hand, had extensive experience in combat! He couldn’t help grinning viciously as he evaded the first swipe of his opponent, and aimed a kick at the mech’s back with every intention of off-balancing him and ending this match quickly.

If overconfidence won a battle this one would have been Warlord, Breakdown mused. He fell flat onto the arena flooring, flipped over onto his back and kicked out with both legs to hit the one pede holding his opponent up. Usually he had more time to look opponents up and down but he didn’t need more than a second, really. He wasn’t out to kill them after all, at this point at least. 

Truthfully, he was quite fascinated by the four mechs, brothers of course, from a small village in the mountains. Half Simfurian, half Kaonite… Intriguing indeed, he wondered who had been the Carrier. And he should be concentrating on the fight; it was impolite to do anything else!

A startled, “What?” was all Seawing could get out when he found himself flat on his back. What the pit had happened? Nevermind that, he had a fight to resume! The slim mech rolled nimbly to his pedes and put some space between himself and Breakdown to reassess the situation. Breakdown was obviously faster than he had expected…

Breakdown resisted saying something pun-like at the ‘what’; instead he got onto his pedes. He wasn’t like Wildrider in his attack patterns but he did have to take initiative here since he _was_ nominally playing the bad mech. Fortunately, Seawing was all too willingly giving him the in he needed. 

Jumping was risky but if it was a question of taking down someone or being taken down you took risks. And the mech was smaller than him, making the risk significantly smaller. They landed with a resounding clang, Seawing making an unhealthy wheezing noise from his vents.

Internally cursing, Seawing grappled for leverage even though his entire chassis was aching from the impact. By the gods, his opponent was heavy! But he had to win, had to…

“Slag, what are you made of?” he gasped.

“Same things you are made of.” That was amusing as Pit but Breakdown refrained from laughing. He had bulk on the small thing and he intended to use it! This was the most unrefined way of taking an opponent down, but that was also why it was damn effective. Nobody expected a highly trained warrior to tackle someone with the grace of a sack of crystal buds. Seawing’s squirming was helping him rather than working against him and he slowly began locking the other’s limbs down with nimble claw touches.

“Don’t fragging… Wait, what the pit are you…!” Seawing struggled to comprehend what was going on, but before he had even fully realized it, he was nearly immobilized. At the very least, there was no way he could fight…! “What did you do?!”

“It’s called immobilization and it’s done because I can then drag you to a brig and interrogate you.” Breakdown didn’t contain his smirk as he got off the smaller mech and hauled him up by his neck collar. 

“It’s a useful skill to have; I have taught all of my brothers how to do it though they are a bit messier in executing the moves.” Wildrider was actually the messy one, mostly because he didn’t much care about how intact a traitor was when he was interrogated. Then again, Drag Strip was quite honestly less caring and tended to lob off limbs if it came right down to it.

The smaller Kaonite grimaced and averted his optics sulkily. He felt like some kind of prize, some trophy on display for the two lords and the others! It was utterly humiliating, and he wished he could punch the medic in the faceplates for it. Repeatedly.

Still, he did have some grace, and so he mumbled, “It’s a good move. I really wasn’t expecting it…”

“You’re not a medic.” Breakdown bowed to Megatron as the warlord declared the match over in his favor and hauled his opponent over to the brothers. It took mere moments to reestablish the connections he had broken. 

“Don’t judge them too harshly, Optronix,” Megatron said softly. “They are good, but they haven’t had the training my guards have.” Megatron gently tapped the Iaconian’s shoulder plate, smiling a little. It would be a few vorns before these hopeful mechs would be able to fight back properly.

Optronix nodded in understanding. “I know. Your guards have had much more time to learn and practice, and I do not begrudge them that, nor will I hold any of these mechs incompetent for being unable to compete adequately. That they would get back up and try again is good, I think.” He watched the competitors as he fell silent, contemplating them once more. Past picking candidates, he had no idea what to do… How to choose? He wanted them to be satisfactory for Megatron so that having guards would no longer be a concern, but what would be good enough for Megatron, who already had such amazing guards?

“Potential and tough plating is what you are looking for right now. Skills can be honed accordingly later.” Megatron tilted his head a little, optics going to the little medic who had been up against Wildrider. Were any of these mechs able to let go of their pride long enough to ask for more, even if it was just another defeat? Only time would tell. 

“Who do you want to see next?”

That was a good question. There were many options available still… “Hmm… Overbite and Dead End?” Optronix asked. He could contemplate permanent choices as soon as he had as much information as he could gather; no need to fret right now.

“You certainly have a knack for interesting parings.” Megatron grinned, amused all over again. He didn’t care why this was, finding it refreshing and exciting. Maybe he should suggest some changes to the usual manner of doing this?

Optronix offered a sheepish shrug while the two chosen mechs moved to take the floor for their fight. “Adversity. You can’t always choose your opponent, so the best answer to that is to prepare for the worst, right?”

“Indeed, you often show wisdom beyond your vorns, Optronix.” Gently lifting one of the small hands he kissed it, willing himself to let go and not keep kissing after a moment. The compliment was honestly meant. Megatron was not the only one to have noted and commented on this, though to his knowledge no one had said it directly to the Iaconian.

The red and blue mech beamed, cheeks flushed with pride and pleasure. “I’ve studied a lot of tactics. I’m not very good at complex stuff yet, but I can grasp the basics,” he replied. “You should begin the match now though, yes? I would be more than happy to talk more about it later, but we should get some more of these matches out of the way before Hadeen reaches its peak.”

“Of course.” Adorable, Megatron thought, and then turned his head to nod at the combatants and to watch the match. He would have rather kept his optics on Optronix – the young mech was so very expressive – but he had obligations to watch this as well. But the youngling was modest, too, out of a genuine desire not to exaggerate his own worth. That was far rarer than it should ever be. 

“One more match after this and we should let the combatants take a break.” That would mean that all of his guards had been on the floor once, and it would only be fair to give them a pause even if they did not need it. It would also give the aspiring teams time to converse and plan… and it would give the defeated a chance at asking for another attempt.

Nodding in agreement, Optronix turned his attention to the fight, and wasn’t the least bit surprised when Dead End quickly and efficiently disabled his opponent. He always seemed so calm and composed… His fighting was no different, and the Iaconian admired him for it.

Megatron once again broke up the fight, asking Optimus for the last pair and starting the match as soon as they were both ready. The next set of matches would be more interesting and longer, at least that was the usual pattern. But a small break for refueling and possibly repairs if needed would not go amiss. He called over a page and sent him off to get refreshments for everyone.

Optronix sat down and called his drone to him, and gently pet the enthusiastically chattering creature while he waited for their energon to arrive. There were still a few battles to go, so he was grateful for the reprieve; he really needed to recollect his thoughts. With so much input in so small a span of time, his processor was positively reeling!

“It is hard to choose, I know, but you won’t be required to make any final choice this orn.” Megatron gently petted a red shoulder again before withdrawing a little to let the young mech think in peace. It did not take all that long for energon to arrive and Megatron took the opportunity to briefly talk to his guards about the mechs they had so far been up against. He returned to his seat by Optronix’s side quickly enough though, and made some small talk with the mech.

When there was only a little left of the break, he noticed the young mech, the first one to go against Wildrider, slinking along the wall of the arena. It wasn’t that the mech was trying to hide as such, but he seemed to be… not overly happy with his errand. The warlord was quick to hide his smile behind his half full cube.

He’d discussed it with his brothers, but that was really only a token thing. If he didn’t do it, they had little chance at being competition to the other team present. Aquablast didn’t have to like it though… 

“My lords…” He had to try twice before he got it out, humiliation burning bright. It wasn’t that he had to apologize for a bad performance though that was hard enough. It was that all the others could see him here… begging for another chance.

Wildrider perked up when the youngling approached the warlord and his Intended and spoke at last, though he tried not to let it show too much. It was a little too early to be jumping for joy… Aquablast had to be able to ask his question before anything of the sort was merited. He watched though, open and unabashedly, as Optronix looked up and offered one of those innocently questioning smiles of his.

“Yes, Aquablast?” the Iaconian asked, setting aside his cube to give the mech his full attention. “Is something wrong?”

“I… I wished to beg your pardon for my poor performance.” Aquablast had to stop and swallow nervously, rather uncomfortable at being under the scrutiny of the Warlord. Oddly enough, he didn’t feel uncomfortable with the smaller Iaconian, however. It wasn’t the size, there was just something… yes, there was something about the mech that put him at ease in a manner he’d never really felt with anyone outside his family. 

“I implore you to give me another chance; I did not fully understand what would be required of me.” 

The apology and request was rather more detailed than such used to be but Megatron wouldn’t dream of interrupting. He would offer help if asked for but ultimately this was Optronix’s decision. In his opinion though, there was potential in a mech that dared leave his pride behind in the dust in an effort to achieve his dreams. Petty pride had no place in the job he wanted just like it had no place in the spark of a ruler.

Optronix was surprised, but quickly understood. He had been wondering if it was possible to have rematches, since the first impression wasn’t always the best… Clearly, though, offering it himself was out of the question. It would be too easy that way, wouldn’t it…?

Still, what kind of response was he supposed to give? He had explained what he needed in his chassis guards, as per Megatron’s demands and suggestions, so it wasn’t like they hadn’t already known… 

After a short silence, he said, “Could you please go back to the others for a moment? I need to consult Warlord Megatron first.”

Wildrider was surprised by Optronix’s words. He had thought for sure the mech would just say yes and leave it at that… But then… He valued the warlord’s opinion and experiences. That he would seek guidance was a good sign!

Aquablast barely held himself from flinching, sure that the dismissal, soft as it was, would mean a no. It wasn’t his place to protest though so he bowed with a murmured, slightly stricken, thank-you and withdrew to his worried brothers. 

To be honest, Megatron was surprised too. He’d expected his mate-to-be to accept the plea instantly. It was not that he believed Optronix to have too soft a spark or to be naïve as to what was needed in those he ultimately chose, but… 

“Optronix?” He would see what had the young mech troubled.

Fully expecting to be chided for not already knowing the answer, Optronix nevertheless asked in low tones, “Am I allowed to say yes? I mean, I was very honest and direct in what was expected of each of them when I spoke to them, but I suppose that between our different cultures and ways of speech, there is a lot of room for misunderstandings…”

“It is expected of them to come to you and ask for forgiveness for their failure. I had not expected this one to approach so soon… it is a great sign of his maturity and ability to learn and handle what this job entails for him.” Megaton paused, unsure how to explain this without sounding arrogant on behalf of his own guards. 

“They are not expected to win this – they are expected to show maturity. To show that they can leave behind the pride that has been the downfall of so many, and that they are willing to learn.”

The Iaconian considered this for a moment before nodding, easily covering the slight surprise at Megatron’s calm, neutral response. “I had hoped you would say something like that. They all show great promise so I would have hated to turn him down. Do you think he would be able to perform better if given a second chance?”

“He might, it is obvious that he was expecting them to be tested medic to medic. They fight differently. He was not expecting Wildrider… no one ever expects Wildrider.” Megatron couldn’t help the amused twitch of his dermas his words caused.

Optronix laughed at the truth of those words. It really _was_ true: no one ever expected Wildrider. The mech was a in a class all his own! 

“I think I will give him a second chance,” he said once his laughter had died down. “He had the courage to ask for it and he may well prove to have deserved it.”

“Are you going to pit him against Wildrider again?” 

Megatron was honestly curious, both as to the answer and to the result of such a second match. 

“More importantly, possibly… will you tell him or simply call him in again?” There was that to consider too, it depended on how much favor Optronix wished to show this early.

Optronix took a drink and then hummed thoughtfully. “I was thinking about it. Do you think it would be a good idea? And… Well, I might just call him in again. I don’t want it to be any easier for anyone else to ask, you know? That wouldn’t be fair at all.” 

“I think it would be wise not to tell him, if you wish the rest to have the same struggle as he had. It would be most fair, in that you are right.” Though none had done as badly as Aquablast, none of them had really left an impression either. It would also not be a bad thing to let everyone stew a little… including Aquablast’s team mates. And Wildrider, who was showing a surprising interest…

“Then it’s settled,” the young noble said, feeling oddly proud for having come to a decision. Part of him felt bad for making Aquablast wait, but it was only fair! “Do you think any more of them will approach when they realize I’m not giving Aquablast an immediate answer?”

“All of the first will eventually, but we shall see who else dares.” Megatron looked at the gathered mechs critically. Aquablast had just managed to get himself onto the nominal ‘wanted’ list despite his abysmal performance against Wildrider.

Optronix nodded again and settled back to somewhat patiently wait while he finished off his energon. Sure enough, it was not long before another of the participants came to speak to them. He gave them an evasive answer like he had done to Aquablast, and was actually a little surprised when a third mech approached to appeal to him just moments later. They were serious about it, at least…

The break was over soon enough and the next set of combatants was called in. All in all they had used the time well and these did last a bit longer in the arena. It wasn’t much but it was something! They could learn and were adapting already. Megatron was satisfied and he gave Optronix his honest opinion when asked but kept quiet otherwise. He was not going to have much of anything to do with these mechs directly, after all.

Optronix watched avidly as each match progressed, though he couldn’t help but cringe at the brutality of some attacks as mechs really got into it. He imagined he would get used to them in time, but Kaonites were so unlike what he had lived with before… 

With a single match of the primaries to go, Optimus considered his options, and how to go about the makeup matches. Since the first four had been given the opportunity to request a second chance, wouldn’t it only be fair to give the others a chance as well? They had performed better, of course, but still.

“Megatron?”

“Yes?” Things had gone well so far, there had been some clear patterns to which teams worked best together and had the most control. Who learned best and who was willing to let pride lie. He was not sure how much of this Optronix had been able to see.

“How… Ah, I mean, can we take another break after the next match? Or is it not necessary? These ones obviously performed better since they knew what to expect, but…” Optronix gestured a little helplessly with his hands, not quite sure how to put it into words. “… I just wanted to offer them the same opportunity as the others?”

“We can take a break if you wish? But there is no need to consider offering more of them chances; they would have to specifically ask for a chance to be provided with it. This is not a question of being ‘fair’, they know you need those who have the most potential… that is how they are chosen.” Megatron gestured to the teams, optics a little far away and dermas set in a serious line. 

“They will be holding your life in their hands, trust me when I say that they are as anxious for you to choose right as any other mech who knows what you are doing this orn.”

Raising his hands defensively, Optronix hurried to say, “I didn’t mean offer them… I just meant, give them a breem or two to be able to ask for another chance, like we did before?”

“I admire your sense of fairness, Optronix, but such a chance is not needed. The first four were… tests if you will; they gave the rest a chance to assess the opponents at the cost of their own chance to seek to make a better impression. This is why the team leaders are usually the first to be called, though I did very much enjoy your approach to it… It was refreshing.” Megatron smiled, amused and touched both. All in all, Optronix’s only flaw seemed to be a little too much compassion at times… But he was young, and who was to say that he did not need a little more compassion in his own decisions? The gods provided what was needed…

“Oh. I, ah, wasn’t aware of that… I just thought that putting them in adverse situations was best. But okay. After this one, we’ll go straight into the makeup rounds. Your guards are able to handle that, I think? They hardly seem to be very put upon by any of the mechs I chose…” Optronix sighed a little at that. For some reason, he had expected the candidates to hold up a little better. But then, Megatron’s guards were far more experienced than just about anybody he knew, which he already knew…

“Part of this is… watching how you handle it.” Taking Optronix’s hand he pressed a small kiss to the tips of the Iaconian’s fingers. 

“My guards are some of the most highly and vigorously trained individuals in all of Kaon. Things would look bad for the city-state if they could not handle this easily. I am, however, impressed with the resilience shown by particular individuals in your chosen teams… this Aquablast for one.”

The Iaconian flushed and smiled, curling his fingers against Megatron’s instinctively. “I know that, and as am I, but all of the others have shown quite a bit of promise as well… But I should begin the next match, shouldn’t I?” Making a show of clearing his vocalizer, he raised his voice and called out the next match so they could get it underway. “Dead End and Rage, please take the floor.” Then, remembering Rage’s penchant for using acid, he hurriedly added, “This match will be hand-to-hand only.”

“Don’t worry, Optronix, many of these will be back soon enough.” At least if all went well with them, there would be the need for further chassis guards as certain other traditions went active. He looked forward to all of that, even if he still feared that rejection might end his hopes. 

On the arena floor the fight unfolded, far more exciting this time then the first had been. Megatron was less interested in it then in his Intended though.

He didn’t doubt Megatron’s word so Optronix let it lie as the battle proceeded. Dead End was, as he had expected and hoped, calm and collected even while Rage seemingly beat him into a corner. It was a little weird at first, until Dead End took advantage of the ‘all attack and no defense’ strategy Rage had been employing to knock the mech on his back and give him what appeared to be a stern talking to. Not that Optronix could blame him since Rage really hadn’t seemed to be paying attention to anything other than inflicting damage on his opponent…

“A little uncontrolled but you did take away his main weapon of choice.” They would have to work on that though, no mech should be dependent on one weapon only. But again that was why these were all young mechs, still able to unlearn bad habits. From the file about him it was clear he was a good leader and a smart mech… far more controlled than he had just showed. It would indeed be interesting to see him develop if Optronix chose his team, Megatron thought.

“With good reason,” Optronix replied softly, though he had no doubt that Megatron already knew it. “Should I announce the rematches, or wait for them to regroup first?”

“Go ahead… but, I ask you to leave Aquablast and Wildrider for last…” It was nothing but a thought, a whim… Wildrider usually was too flighty to growl at someone, too mercury to get near. He was truly looking forward to that particular rematch.

Optronix gave Megatron a curious look but didn’t probe. Megatron would tell him his reasoning on his own eventually, wouldn’t he? And it wasn’t like it made a difference anyway. He shifted a little and settled into a kneeling, straight backed position and returned his attention to the gathered mechs.

“I have decided to go forward with the rematches,” he said, “so when I call you, please proceed as before to the center of the ring for your match. Now… I apologize for not giving you a chance to rest, Dead End, but I would like you to go against Overbite again whenever the two of you are ready.”

* * *

Three matches later, there had been a definite bettering of tactics and fighting skills on the part of the recruits, but they had still lost. Megatron felt entertained; the mismatching of the pairs had given a far wider scope of the abilities of the recruits as well as his own guards than was usual during a test such as this. 

And the last pair was up…

Aquablast had become more and jitterier as the fights wore on and he wasn’t called. The Iaconian turned a lot of things upside down. He was too nervous to form an opinion on that though. His optics kept being drawn to the mech he was going to attempt fighting again… 

Wildrider. 

There was no way he could defeat him. Simply no way, so how could he prove himself without casting disgrace on his team and eliminating them all from consideration for this post? He believed they were skillful, worthy and maybe even some of the best here, but that did not matter if he could not show it!

The kindling of an idea took form as the second of the recall fights were going and solidified when the third was called. 

He couldn’t win. But he could make sure his opponent lost too.

Optronix felt that the last three matches were a success, all in all. He could see more of their abilities, and being an outsider, had the time to study and understand why they made at least part of the decisions they did… And even though he really didn’t want guards at all, he found himself looking forward to being able to train with any of these mechs. It would be good experience, at least… 

As the third pair left the floor, Wildrider wondered just what Optronix was thinking. In normal circumstances, the first to ask would be the first to be granted a rematch. But maybe the young lord was really not going to give Aquablast a second chance… Hardly fair, but after his poor performance, who could blame someone so young and inexperienced for saying no? Or maybe Megatron had talked him into it…?

His concerns were largely unfounded, much to his relief; Optronix called Aquablast to the floor, and Wildrider only felt slightly surprised that he was called to be the mech’s opponent. Surprised, but pleased. He would very much enjoy fighting the younger Kaonite again!

He bowed to the two lords and moved into the designated fighting space, and grinned playfully at Aquablast. “Back for round two of your aft kicking?” he asked.

“We’ll see about that.” He couldn’t help snarling, but it was okay; it hid the hurt. He wasn’t bad at this, no worse than the medic on the other team! They had been trained to keep their team alive first and foremost. In this case it would be to keep the co-ruler alive, but it was not that different! 

Only it was, which… honestly he liked. The idea of being a warrior before medic, he wanted it and badly. But it didn’t change that Wildrider grated on his nerves and his somewhat damaged self-image. Confidence would be hard to find. 

“I won’t be as easily defeated.” And even when he would be he would make sure to leave an impression!

Uncaring of what response Aquablast might have expected after that statement, Wildrider’s grin widened and he said, “I sure hope not.” He glanced toward the two lords, waiting for the signal to fight with great anticipation. How different would the fight be this time, now that Aquablast knew better than to just defend?

‘Aft’. Aquablast made sure not to snarl at the other mech again, patiently waiting for the go. Well maybe not patiently since he wasn’t looking forward to this one… 

“This should prove interesting.” Megatron flicked his fingers before giving the go. The medic seemed slight in comparison to Wildrider, who wasn’t even the biggest on his own team. It really would be interesting to see if observation had given the medic any ideas, basically it was impossible to predict the mech… even he had a tough time of it and Wildrider, and the rest of them, had been with him for a long time indeed.

Slowly circling the other, Aquablast huffed impatiently. He had to put on a good show. That was really all that was required, show he had skills and then let himself be taken down. His fingers fairly itched for a weapon, but hand-to-hand it was…

Wildrider allowed Aquablast to circle him, thoroughly enjoying the tenseness in the other’s stance as he waited to be attacked. It was boring to just play around though, so the chassis guard lunged without warning and laughed as he slammed a closed fist into the smaller mech’s torso plating. 

“Uff!” 

Dang! He had already lost the initiative… On the other hand, Wildrider was invading his personal space, which was what he wanted him to do. Slapping his hand against the shoulder joint, he grunted and kicked the mech away, following up with a lunge and a hit of his own. One package delivered, three to go. 

He had no hope of delivering even a serious dent to the other, but that made it all the more important to deliver the markers. He’d taken them with him more as a good luck thing than anything… A training tool, something his team used when they played with those larger than themselves.

Oh, yes! Aquablast was doing much better this time! Wildrider followed the younger mech’s retreat with glee, one hand catching the arm raised in defense while the other lashed out to wrap around the back of his opponent’s neck joint so he could headbutt him again. As Aquablast fell back from the impact, he rolled over him and sprung to his pedes with a grin about splitting his features. 

“You really were holding back on me before!” he playfully chastised. “We could have had so much more fun!”

“This isn’t fun!” He’d wasted a perfect chance to get a marker onto Wildrider’s chest plates, and his processor felt like it was about to split open. Aquablast snarled and threw himself at the other, hand, with marker, landing on the side of the larger mech’s abdominal plates. Chest would have been much better. 

It might have been fun at any other time. Well, it _would_ have been at any other time if he was truthful, but this was too important.

“What?” Wildrider asked, pure shock lacing his tone while he bounced back from the sudden assault, not even bothering to rub the pain from his abused side. It had been a good hit, but not damaging… “This _is_ fun! You’re actually fighting back!” What could be more fun than that? An opponent that could, if not keep up with him completely, retaliate when he saw an opening was a great thing!

“You are an aft!” Hissing to make sure no one else heard it as well as to convey the proper emotion, Aquablast ignored the urge to really hit where it hurt. He wouldn’t be able to do enough damage anyway, it was clear that he and his siblings would need extensive upgrades if they got this job. 

Megatron leaned forward. This was something else indeed; it seemed that this Aquablast had truly been worth a second chance.

Wildrider just laughed at the insult and made a rather crude gesture as he paced the floor. He would be patient and wait for the mech to attack him this time, see how far he could go… Truly, Aquablast was much better than he had been able to realistically hoped after their first match!

It was with increasing excitement that Optronix followed the warlord’s example and leaned forward, elbows resting against his bent knee joints as he propped his helm up, much like he was watching a particularly good scene in a holo. It certainly felt like it! That was just the type of air this particular match was creating, with a certain tension to it that made him wish rather unrealistically that Aquablast could overcome his foe, or at least not lose terribly…

‘Just one more marker, gotta make sure he would have been truly maimed if not killed…’ 

Aquablast considered his options. An arm… yes, he should go for arm or upper back, not too high up though. Slowly circling the other, he realized that Wildrider wouldn’t give him an in to get at his back – wise but frustrating. An arm then.

“This is the longest you have managed not to attack yet, isn’t it?” the calm question was just a diversion, and he readied himself as well as he could without tensing and sprang at the other when it seemed he was about to answer.

“It’s not a challenge to do so when I’ve got such an interesting mech to watch,” Wildrider said with a cheeky wink of one optic. Aquablast was making it too obvious that he wanted to distract him, but Wildrider was willing to play along! And the way he prepared to attack while also trying to make it look like he wasn’t doing so… Oh, he could have so much fun training this one if given the chance! He was a fast learner, and reacted in such amusing ways…

He held his ground even when the other’s weight impacted against him, and easily caught the mech around the waist with one hand while the other grabbed him by the back of his collar armor and yanked him back. It was almost too easy to force him down into a vulnerable pose from there, but even so, he knew he had been struck as well and spared a glance toward his arm. In doing so, he realized there was a bright marker where Aquablast had hit him, and he frowned curiously at it. 

“What’s this?”

“My victory,” Aquablast grunted. The position he was in hardly allowed for a victorious smirk. Still he didn’t mind because as long as he wasn’t offline he could send the activation code. The small markers burst and paint marked the expanse of plating they would have ruined if they had been his real armament. 

“You got me, I got you. The warlord wins.”

Wildrider could admit to being genuinely surprised, a feeling shared by most of the gathered mechs, or even angry at his own failure to judge his opponent correctly, but he was far too busy laughing to do either. 

“Genius,” he said after a short while, letting go of Aquablast’s chassis so he could flop on him, smearing paint between them as he recovered from his laughing fit. “I guess I underestimated you a bit, didn’t I? But I guarantee that with some more training and thicker armor, you’d make a fine chassis guard if you fight like that all the time. You just gotta play the game right and you’ll have the enemy in the palm of your clever little servos.”

“Would you get off me?!” Aquablast growled with annoyance. The other was heavy, damn it!

“Now that went a lot better than one could have hoped for.” Megatron sat back, dermas pulled into a smirk that was both surprised and pleased. Of course the chassis guard should survive, but if there were no other chance he should value the life of his charge over his own. Aquablast would make a very good chassis guard it seemed…

Optronix nodded. “Yes, it definitely did. I had thought he could do better, but I am still surprised and immensely pleased because of it! It will certainly be something to consider later…”

Wildrider rolled off of the other Kaonite with a chuckle. “You’re no fun. I thought it was kinda nice,” he said, and he meant it. Aquablast had proven himself quite adequate in combat, and what was a good fight without the make-up interface afterward? And if it wasn’t that type of fight, oh well. Details weren’t all that important.

“That is because you are an idiot.” Aquablast got to his feet, dipped a short bow to the prone mech then gave a deeper, and far more sparkfelt, one to the warlord and his Intended before stalking off to his team mates. The aft! Apparently there would be one major downside to being chosen for this job. 

“If you are satisfied with the demonstrations, we should perhaps dismiss the contestants and take our evening energon together?” Unless Optronix had already decided, though no one would see with a kind optic on him hurrying though this. Megatron was so far pleased though, and so would all others be if he wasn’t wrong.

“So coldsparked,” Wildrider bemoaned laughingly as he rolled to his pedes and sauntered over to find someone else to flop on. Like Drag Strip, who bitched to the pit and back about getting coated in neon paint.

Tearing his optics away from the display of the mechs parting ways to go back to their respective teams, Optronix replied, “I think that would be best. It has gotten rather late and I’m sure everyone would like a chance to rest. I’d like to think things over again, and maybe talk to them all once more before I decide. I mean, I’m going to be stuck with them for a long time, right? I want to feel confident that I’m making the right choice.” 

“Wise of you.” Megatron rose and offered his Intended his hand. Nodding to the teams in the arena and sending a short comm. to Breakdown, he led the smaller mech away. Things had gone very well indeed…


	15. A first...

Things were hectic, confused, and at the same time, it was the best time Ratbat could remember. He would have preferred if Optronix had been here to share it with him but was also honest enough to know that had Optronix truly been here it would simply not have happened. ‘Losing’ his nephew had been a catalyst, had cracked the cold armor around his spark… 

One orn, he would hopefully be able to share it with his nephew in a manner aside from through a screen. 

Said screen flickered to life, showing his gently smiling ward, and Ratbat ached but did his best not to let it show as he greeted, “It is good to see you, Optronix. Are you well?” He _looked_ well, but that could deceive.

“I am… not bad,” Optronix said, glancing over his shoulder at yet another of the many ‘temporary’ guards he had been assigned since his arrival. They would be gone soon enough, to be replaced by his permanent guards… “For the most part, I’m quite well, but there are some… ah… discrepancies in how the warlord and I think. But it’s not important; how are you? Are things still going well with Skater?”

“Not unexpected considering the differences between Iacon and Kaon.” Ratbat kept it to that, letting it be as his nephew had asked. They would talk again, and maybe Optronix couldn’t or wouldn’t talk about it yet. 

“Things are going well with my Intended, yes. Things are not going so well with the plans for the bonding ceremony, as Skater’s family is rather difficult… I had not expected that considering that his obligations to them were released the moment he sought an ‘ordinary’ job.” Ratbat was both affronted and disgruntled about this and it showed. But he did not want to cut off Skater’s family if he could help it.

“Ah… What could they have to be displeased about? I mean, with or without the feelings you two have for one another, any bonding ceremony you host is bound to be pleasing in every conceivable way, and Skater will be lifted immeasurably by it…” Optronix frowned as he considered this fact. He couldn’t recall much of Skater’s family since he had only seen one or two of them, but they couldn’t be insufferable, could they?

“They want a share of his new status – more than just being related grants.” And he was not willing to give it. As far as he knew, Skater was not involved with that demand, and would be mad if he found out.

Optronix blinked, at first confused but then understanding. “… I see. They haven’t the right to demand it though. Are they being very bothersome? And what does Skater think of it?” It would be difficult if Skater wanted such a thing, but if he didn’t… Well, they could be removed from all status benefits of the bonding for causing such trouble to a higher ranking noble, should said higher ranking noble so choose.

“I have not yet told him. I should, but… I hope to solve it without causing a rift with his family. I have no wish to risk him being cut off from it, nor any littles we spark.” Having little to no family was not good; Optronix had turned out remarkably well but he had always been an exceptional mech in that regard…

“And it is not all of them, only a bothersome few.” But he was an outsider and it was not his place to inform the rest of the family of the power mongers among them.

Right, that _was_ a problem… Optronix sighed. “I wish I could be of more help, uncle, so that your bonding can go smoothly. It must be difficult for you…” And when he was trying to find love, too. It was depressing and made the younger mech wish once again that the world could be a little fairer. Was it really too much to ask?

“It is not your concern, nephew. You have your own worries.” Ratbat nevertheless smiled at the younger mech, pleased that he was still able to worry for others. Things could not be wholly bad for him; that was a relief.

“What is happening with you? Have you learned something interesting?”

“I, uh… Define ‘interesting’? I can’t really think of anything that would be worth mentioning…” More, he could think of too many things, but since he only had a limited amount of time to talk to Ratbat, he wanted to make every second count! It was so frustrating, but Optronix couldn’t say that. It might make his uncle feel bad that they didn’t have enough time, and he certainly didn’t want that!

“Hmm…” Ratbat looked at his nephew and rather thought that that was an evasion of sorts and not the truth. But he understood, or at least thought he did. Optronix had always been very aware of political issues… even when it came to private life as it were. Very well then, there were things he could ask about that had no real importance. 

“How is that little drone of yours? He must have found a playmate there; is that not what such beings do?”

Grateful that his uncle was able to be more decisive than he was, Optronix nodded with a small smile on his dermas. “Oh, yes! Warlord Megatron’s drone, Scavenger, has proven quite a willing companion for Scorponok. They’re quite adorable, really… There are others too, but he doesn’t play with them as much.”

“That is indeed fortunate…” Though Ratbat was not entirely sure about the ‘adorable’ part, drones were not his thing. But Scorponok made Optronix happy, that was really what mattered the most to him now. 

“And have you managed to learn more of drones, yet? I know you were very curious about them.”

“I’ve learned a bit, yeah. Things have been kind of busy, you know, but everyone so far has been willing to answer my questions, so I can ask things when I think of them… Did you know that Kaon has flier and feline type drones, too?” Optronix asked. “They’re called Avisea and Felidea respectively, and they are amazing! Lord Megatron’s guards have one of each and two Scorponox models. I wish I could send you pictures right now! Drag Strip, he’s one of the chassis guards I see regularly since he’s closest to my size, has an Avisea, and it’s so sleek and beautiful… ” 

The younger mech sighed a little wistfully at the remembrance of the brightly colored drone and how gracefully it had danced through the skies on the occasions he had been allowed to see it. He loved his own drone above all others, but there was no denying the beauty of the other two drone types!

“I did not know this; drones are rare in Iacon and most are… not much like yours. It seems that the Kaonites have made them into an art.” Ratbat smiled at the look on his nephew’s face plates. It seemed that Kaon was making a lasting impression on the young mech. 

“But you have been awarded chassis guards?” That was a relief to know!

“What? Oh, no, Drag Strip isn’t one of mine? He’s one of Megatron’s… But I’ll have my own soon enough, now that you mention it. I got to pick them out myself, and once we make the final decisions, I’ll have a… a normal light cycle guard. Probably here in the next couple of orns, in fact.” Optronix picked at his armor, feeling a little flustered as he added, “After the b-bonding, I’ll have a night guard, too. Until then, I’ll just have the palace guard to watch over me.”

“You picked your own guards?” Ratbat was not incredulous because he thought his nephew was unable to do something like that but rather because he had never even considered doing it himself. 

“That does sound like something you would enjoy? Was it… ah, fun?” Kaonites were far more violent than Iaconians, frankly he could not quite imagine how this ‘choosing’ might have been done.

“Yep! I was given a bunch of candidates to choose from, and narrowed it down all on my own, and then Megatron’s chassis guards tested them and I’m supposed to make a decision as soon as I’m able based on their performance. I’m still thinking about it, but I’m pretty sure I know who I really want…” The red and blue mech couldn’t help but feel accomplished as he explained it to his guardian, though he did try to keep from getting too excited. 

“That does sound exciting. Do your potential guards possess drones too?” This seemed like a good subject to stay with, Optronix had no qualms about talking of it and seem… happy. Ratbat relaxed a little genuinely relived on his nephew’s behalf.

Optronix nodded enthusiastically. “They do! I didn’t get to see much of them, but I imagine it won’t be long before I do… I’m supposed to train with them so that we can fight together if we need to, or defend ourselves if we’re apart. I’m really looking forward to that,” he admitted, though somewhat hesitantly because he didn’t want it to be taken poorly by Ratbat. Not that that seemed likely considering how calm the mech had remained throughout their recent conversations…

Honestly, he did not like to hear the part about training but… His nephew was not in Iacon any longer. Kaon was… Kaon. At least this did seem to make Optronix happy with the upheaval in his life. 

“That seems wise. I shall hope to meet these guards of yours in time, and their drones of course.” And their time was almost up. 

“I miss you, nephew. Be safe.”

Those words made Optronix’s spark ache like few things could, and he didn’t even try to appear like he was okay with having to cut the connection as he replied, “I miss you too, uncle. Keep me updated on your bonding plans, okay? Even the not so good stuff. And I’ll keep you posted on everything here, and hopefully I’ll be able to send you some pictures or something soon…”

“I promise, Optronix. May Primus watch over you.” He signed off before it could become drawn out and painful. Well, more painful than it already was. And to think he had spent so little time with his nephew when he had him right under pede… Well, you learned as long as you lived, it was a lesson he had relearned quite painfully.

The younger Iaconian murmured a similar prayer to the blank screen and then got out of his seat and collected Scorponok from the drone’s nest. If he hurried, he wouldn’t be late for evening meal…

After the past few orns (the involuntary thought of how a letter should have been coming soon, if not already arrived, was firmly stamped down lest it make him inconsolably depressed) in Kaon, Optronix had gotten used to the routine meals and awkward but genuine attempts at conversation whenever he and the Kaonite Warlord had a klik together. He was willing, in light of that, to look past his selfish desires and accept that this was a good thing; Iacon and Kaon would be at peace at last, and that was important.

After everything that had happened so far, he could see that Megatron wasn’t cruel, but merely efficient. He saw a good way to get things done and made it happen. And Scorponok was happy, too. He had a friend to play with him while his master was busy meeting people, shaking hands and participating in functions that were for him but made little sense to his humble nature. The type of respect he was given was weird at best and confounding at worst. He would have never asked for it, given a choice…

Sighing at his rather pointless thoughts, the Iaconian entered the unusually small dining room (he had expected it to be so much bigger in the beginning, he couldn’t help but think, so much more… grand, but it was small and cozy and welcoming), taking his usual seat to the right of Megatron’s chair at the head of the table – his rightful position once they had bonded. Megatron had not yet arrived, but that wasn’t unusual. Ruling an entire city-state sometimes meant you couldn’t join your mate for a refueling… Optronix stared down at the cube placed before him, waiting until Scorponok had clambered over to his own tray before picking up the warm green cube and taking a slow drink. He had nothing planned for tomorrow, as far as he knew, so hopefully he could just stay in his room, maybe play with Scorponok and reread all those letters that signified the happiest he’d ever been in his life…

Megatron stopped in the door, spark clenching as he watched his Intended sit all alone at the table. Optronix had barely touched his fuel yet but he knew that wasn’t for lack of time… It was hard to watch the young mech struggle with all that was suddenly placed on his young shoulders. It was hard to leave him be, hard to let him go on believing that this was nothing more than an alliance bonding. Well… the last was not something he had to let him believe, now was it? He simply had to be careful in his seduction, and be even more careful in the clues he gave. Their bonding ceremony was scheduled sixteen orns from now, but that should be enough time…

“Optronix…?” Speaking softly, he stepped inside the dining room and gestured for a page to bring him fuel. A deep blue cube was brought to him and he sat down beside his mate-to-be and reached out with his free hand to run his claw tips lightly against the smaller mech’s left arm. “I apologize for being late… there was another mining collapse at my estate, no one got hurt…” One little phrase – Optronix would not think much of it now but… soon. “I thought… if you feel like it tonight, that I could show you our garden? To make up for leaving you on your own so often.”

Optronix tried to ignore how the mention of a collapse reminded him so much of another mech. He had a duty and he _would_ find a way to be happy with it… He gave the Warlord a small smile and, when the large claws got to his wrist, carefully twisted his hand so he could catch the other’s, tangling their fingers loosely together. 

“You don’t need to apologize. I’m glad that no one was injured,” he said, trying to sound as sincere as he felt. He really didn’t expect much from his eventual bondmate in the way of time together even now; he understood that the mech had responsibilities and couldn’t always be with him. The young Iaconian stared at their intertwined fingers for a moment to gather his courage. Megatron was trying, and it showed, it would be unbearably rude to persist in turning him down all the time… “And I… I would like that, my lord, if you have no other pressing duties for the evening…”

Forcing back the thrill of heat Optronix’s actions caused, Megatron smiled softly, making sure not to bare his fangs. Much as he would like to take the mech to his berth, he doubted that the sentiment was returned… Besides his Iaconian mate would have no idea that he was ‘hitting’ on him if he behaved in any particularly feral manner. 

“You can call me by my name, Optronix. We might not be bonded yet but you do not have to observe so strict formalities when we are together in a private fashion.” They were never really alone as it were; people of their rank seldom were. 

“Yes, my l– ah, Megatron…” Optronix flushed a little and took a drink to help calm his nerves. He couldn’t help slipping back to that honorific when he was upset or confused, though he thought he had been doing quite well until tonight… They were not bonded yet, but soon… soon… 

Optronix took another drink, holding it in his mouth for a moment to savor the rich taste before swallowing. “How was your day? Aside from the collapse, I mean.”

“It was productive… even the collapse was productive in a way since it lead to the discovery of a large cavern under my lands. It is… No, I think I will show you rather than tell you, let it be a surprise for after our joining.” Smiling, he tightened his hold on the much smaller hand a little. It hurt to see Optronix instinctively shy away at the mentioning of the bonding ceremony but it was nothing he hadn’t expected. Megatron huffed and put his cube down; he turned slightly to cup his Intended’s cheek with his free hand. 

“Please… give me a chance, Optronix? I will make you happy, whatever it takes!” Leaning forward, he brushed his dermas lightly against those plump, kissable ones his mate to be kept inadvertently teasing him with. He had meant for it to be only a light sign of affection but… Unicron! They felt so good, plump, soft; before he knew it he was licking them, nipping…

Optronix was sure his CPU had stalled out and he was having some kind of hallucination. Megatron wouldn’t really be asking, be doing… Oh, Primus. The young mech whimpered and offlined his optics, shyly returning the pressure even though a small part of him insisted that he was betraying his secret admirer by doing so. He would have to do this eventually, and it wasn’t hurting anything… His hand tightened on the Kaonite’s and he pressed a little harder into the nips, glossa hesitantly meeting with his mate-to-be’s between the nips as he allowed himself to get lost in the sensations.

It wasn’t until Megatron realized his hand had wandered from face plates to shoulder seam that he managed to break off. By that time he was so hot he had to suppress the command to engage his cooling systems! He almost pressed back in when he saw the expression on Optronix’ face plates… parted dermas shone softly with the gleam of oral fluids, swollen and marked by his dental fangs, offlined optics and something near rapture making the beautiful face glow with sensuality. He had never seen anything so alluring… “Beautiful, desirable… tell me, my Intended, tell me what I must do to win your spark?”

Optronix licked his dermas and onlined his optics, feeling dazed. Primus… And that was what he would be getting whenever they were intimate! And more… The question only partly registered as the young noble regained coherency, but he caught enough of it to get the gist of what Megatron wanted. How could his spark be won? It would be unfair to say only his mystery suitor could have his spark… “I… I don’t know what I want. Everything’s going so fast…” 

“Yes…” Megatron slowly, slowly moved his hand off the red and blue plating, regretful and ashamed at the same time. “I should not pressure you…” No, he shouldn’t but it was so hard not to give in. A low growl escaped him and he offlined his optics so as not to stare hungrily at the swollen, bruised dermas. He should have been more careful, should have stopped… “You are the most beautiful mech; I… did not think it would be so hard to give you the needed time. Having you here, seeing you…”

Optronix wasn’t entirely sure what the warlord meant by that; it almost sounded like he had known for a long time that he would have Optronix with him… No, he probably just meant that he would have someone in general, and suspense had taken its toll on him or something. 

“I am sorry, Megatron… It’s just really hard to, you know… comprehend what’s happening,” he murmured apologetically, placing his free hand over the hand tangled with his own and squeezed gently. “You’ve been so good to me since I got here, and that is all I could really ask for right now.”

Empty words… oh, he didn’t doubt that Optronix meant them but they were still empty. His Intended did not want to be here, with him… couldn’t want to since he was pining for someone else. “I will do anything within my power to make you happy, Optronix, all I ask for in return is that you try and love Kaon, at least…” ‘if it is too hard to love me.’ Strangling the rest of his words before they left his vocalizer, he smiled sadly at the red and blue mech. He was still afraid that hate and not love would come from his revelation. Taking his forgotten cube, he focused on refueling.

Having nothing to say to that since it would be stupid to make a promise he wasn’t sure he could keep, Optronix merely pulled a hand back to pick up his cube and resumed his own refueling in silence. He finished before Megatron but waited until the mech had set down his empty cube to be taken away before he tried speaking again. There had been something on his mind since the moment that Megatron had denied his first and almost only request… 

“Megatron… When… when I asked if I could… write one more letter to my suitor, why did you say no? I would not have taken very long, I would have even written it where I stood and had Ratchet and Wheeljack take it back to the usual pick-up spot if you had just given me a moment!”

Stiffening, Megatron considered his options. He had said no because he knew it wouldn’t be picked up and he had known that High Scholar Ratbat would do anything in his power to ‘save’ Optronix. If they had stayed he might even have succeeded. Neither of which the warlord could admit to considering that both were something only Omega Alpha would have known. 

“You think me… evil for my haste? No, don’t answer that… I am not sure my reasoning would make you happy and I can’t yet tell you all of it. When I saw you… there was no doubt you were the one I have waited for, for so long. I did not dare take even a few seconds of time… I feared losing you. Not very rational or fair to you…”

Optronix sighed. Why did it not surprise him that even now, with the ceremony that would bind them together permanently drawing ever nearer, Megatron still wouldn’t give him a straight answer? 

“Your insistence in not telling me anything doesn’t make me very happy either, you know,” he mumbled, dropping his helm into his free hand and staring at nothing in particular. “And it’s really unfair of you to wait until after we’ve bonded to reveal whatever little secret you’re trying to hide. I guess it’s a good way to ensure that I’ll have to stay with you no matter what…”

Dentals flashing in an unvoiced snarl, Megatron clenched his free hand into a fist, relishing the pain of his claws piercing palm armor. It would do no good to tell Optronix that no one but the young Iaconian native would be the one to initiate their bonding… he had planned it all carefully. He knew that the youngling wouldn’t understand yet; he barely understood his new people at all and even with the etiquette classes he was receiving, it would take a long time for him to fully comprehend it! 

“This I can swear to you, our sparks will not touch until you decide… that is the way of Kaonite bondings.”

Optronix jerked at the force with which Megatron spoke, and had to take a moment to let the words sink in before he could make a reply because of the shock, though it was easy to figure out what he wanted to say. “If this wasn’t so important for our city-states, I’d probably tell you I refuse to get bonded until you tell me what you’re hiding from me. But then, it’s nearly impossible to hide something from your bondmate…” Optronix hated even thinking of the things he was implying, but Primus! Was it really so bad to tell him?

“I suppose I deserved that…” Megatron murmured almost inaudibly, blankly looking at his fist and the droplets of energon escaping under his claws. “I just hope you will not choose to hate me for my subterfuge.” Shaking his head abruptly, he looked at the small mech and huffed sadly. “Do you still wish to see our garden?” 

“After you get your hand looked at. You could get rust if you’re not careful…” the young Iaconian said, ignoring the fact that Megatron had probably been looking after himself longer than Optronix had even been online and surely already knew that. It went without saying that he was going to let the ‘bonding’ topic slide too. It was getting them nowhere.

He reached over to his drone, gently stroking down the small creature’s back and smiling when red optics flickered online and a questioning chirr sounded. 

“Did you get enough to eat?” he asked, smile widening when the drone nodded and latched onto his hand before rolling over, demanding scritches which were immediately provided; they didn’t last nearly as long as Scorponok was expecting though, as demonstrated by the irritated whine the red and blue noble got when he pulled his hand away. “Megatron is taking us to see the garden, Scorp’. We can play later.”

It was ridiculous to be envious of a drone… Huffing quietly, Megatron opened his fist and grimaced at the puncture wounds. They were deep and they still bled. 

“Come with me?” Rising, he towered over Optronix and offered his uninjured hand as aid, the injured one curled against his chest plate. “I’m sure Scorponok will be more cooperative when Scavenger decides to wake up. We’ll go by the med center, though I doubt I will rust from such a simple injury.”

Optronix took the proffered hand after Scorponok scaled his arm to rest on his shoulder, allowing the Kaonite to lead him up and out of the room, mindful to nod courteously to the mechservant that moved to clean up after them as they departed. 

“It could happen. Ratchet… always said so, when we would get hurt during weapons handling. He always used a lot of inappropriate words while doing so, but you could tell he was worried…” he mumbled, trailing off. He missed Ratchet, and Wheeljack for that matter… He wondered if they had gotten together now that they didn’t have as much to distract themselves from each other. They had seemed awfully close when he last saw them…

“It is true… I’m simply used to getting minor injuries, and to getting them tended to whether or not I want it. Hook and his brethren take their profession very seriously.” 

Megatron escorted his Intended to the med center and his hand was treated in less than a breem. The gestalt, minus the illustrious Hook, watched Optronix with thinly veiled curiosity and no little awe. It was a relief to finally depart and walk to the garden, signaling a page he ordered them to bring a box of candy before he activated the doors. It was dark outside and star light met the light of floating glowing crystals through the triple domes of clear glass. Red, blue, green, yellow… a thousand nuances arranged in a tasteful rainbow. Keeping back, he lightly pushed Optronix inside, following only enough to close the doors.

“Wow…” This definitely put his sad excuse for a garden to shame! Optronix walked forward, awed by the beauty displayed before him. So much to look at… he was certain he could have stayed the rest of the orn and still not seen everything, but he was going to try! He barely noticed when Scorponok jumped off his shoulder to go look on his own, so entranced was he. How had he not seen this before? Optronix wondered; he had roamed his new home aimlessly whenever he wasn’t busy meeting people, seeing their happy faces at his appearance… 

A deep red crystal cluster caught his optics, immediately drawing his attention. It was just like the one sitting so lonesome in his rooms, so much larger but no less beautiful for its extravagance, and he found himself drawn to it, hands raised to gently caress the crystal without really thinking about it. It stood to reason that something like this would find its way into the Warlord’s possession, but to have it grow so large already… It brought to mind all the other similarities between his old suitor and his new, and Optronix was more uncomfortable than he cared to admit as the various thoughts he’d had since coming here regarding the matter replayed themselves for him. 

“… Megatron?” 

It wouldn’t hurt to ask a question or two, just to remind himself that no, no matter what his romantic side secretly wished, they were _not_ the same person…

Scavenger had joined Optronix’s little drone in one of their strange games that seemed equal parts stalking and courting, so Megatron left them to it. He followed his Intended at a discreet distance he smiled softly as the mech touched the deep red Corax crystal. It was beautiful, to be sure; his gardeners had been close to a breakdown when it was brought in… a good sort of breakdown. Such a find was a once in a lifetime thing and the crystal was well over a thousand eons. It sang gently under the vibrations of Optronix’s hand, lending the air an almost physically trembling quality. 

“Yes?”

What to ask first… 

“I’ve been wondering for a while… well, a lot of things…” Optronix started, half-turning to look at the much larger mech without moving away from the crystal. “Is… Is Scavenger a common name for a drone?” That was one of the things that had occurred to him first, once they had been properly introduced. Omega Alpha’s drone had been named Scavenger, too, and they were the same model and everything… 

“It is fairly common; both as name and pet name… the drone type was developed from a natural species of scavengers called Cyberscorpions.” Megatron had no intention of lying and he was, in fact, not lying. He had been very young when he got Scavenger and so the name lacked any adult finesse. Not that he cared much. Scavenger had been a faithful companion and a fearless protector for him… a friend to someone whose destiny was to be alone for a very long time.

See? Common. “Ah… I didn’t know it was a common name for mechs, although I should have wondered since that one Constructicon, with the shovel tail? His name is Scavenger, right?” He was a sweet mech – small, at least for a Kaonite, and very attention hungry, but in an endearing way that made Optronix like him a lot. The Iaconian turned back to the crystal, gently placing and removing his hands over the crystal to create disruptions in the sound it made. He had done much the same to his own crystal (although with just his fingers because of the size difference), and the sound it made was very pleasing to the audio receptors. “Lord Starscream… You two have been friends for a long time, right? Senator Shockwave spoke very fondly of the way the two of you act together normally when I met and spoke with him. He said you even studied together for a while, a long time ago.”

“Yes, his name is Scavenger and yes, I am good friends with the Winglord.” Megatron smiled crookedly and inwardly cursed Shockwave… not that it was fair to the Senator. “We studied together when I was at the Vosian University, it is obligatory for our younglings to spend at least a vorn studying out and usually they make sure we go in groups… I believe that vorn we were hum… two hundred?”

“Really? Do you get to choose where you go?” he asked, excited at the idea. Kaon had more choices as to where its students could go. In addition to Kalis, Nova Cronum, and Helix (which were the most commonly chosen and easiest to make arrangements with for Iacon), they could go to Vos, Tarn… They probably had easier access to Tyger Pax, too, because of bondings between the states! 

“Within the limits of our trade partners, yes. But most choose Vos… the thrill of the Seeker city-state is one not easily competed with.” Nor was the possibility of being a resonant, what could he say? Kaonites might not have a heat cycle but that did not make their ‘appetites’ any smaller. “Not all Vosians are fliers though… some are grounders and their twin state has a more far-reaching exchange program with them.”

“Iacon has something like that, but it’s voluntary, not mandatory. I had considered going to Nova Cronum’s university on and off after I started at the Academy… History is an amazing teacher for the future, after all…” Optronix smiled fondly at the thought. It was impossible now, since he would have to stay here for a long time after the bonding. Not because Megatron would force him – the red and blue mech didn’t think it would even cross the Warlord’s mind to force him to do anything – but because their bond would not be able to stand the strain of distance if he left. Unfortunate, but true… Perhaps someday, though.

Diverted it seemed… for now. “History is an art… and learning from it gives wisdom as well as knowledge. If it is your wish I will make sure we visit Nova Cronum… I haven’t been there in a long time.”

Optronix smiled at his mate-to-be, saying gratefully, “I would really like that. The history I’ve learned at Iacon academy is nothing compared to what Perceptor said Nova Cronum holds…” Perceptor… The young noble bit his derma, pausing in playing with the crystal. He had heard or seen nothing of his friend pretty much since his… abduction. “Is… Do you know if Perceptor is okay? I know you said that he would be safe with the Winglord, but…” 

“I doubt he will be able to attend our bonding ceremony with Starscream, but that is not unusual for newly claimed resonants.” Megatron smiled, a just slightly hungry one, and stroked along the back of Optronix’ helmet. “He is safe with Starscream, and probably rather unable to leave their berth at the moment. It would not surprise me if he is already carrying… the Winglord line tends to be fertile. Especially when in heat.” And Starscream would be proud as a Cyberhawk, something he would gladly forgive his old friend.

“Already carrying?” The notion was foreign (would they really be that intimate after just meeting?), but if they were interfacing as much as Megatron’s words implied… Optronix worried his lower derma some more as he leaned into the gentle petting, thinking. After a moment, he spoke again. “It’s consensual, right? I don’t exactly know how the resonance thing works… Lord Starscream seemed very… intense when he took Perceptor away,” he said hesitantly, unsure of how to word his thoughts without sounding offensive.

“Consensual… that is a harder question. The moment they locked optics neither one had a choice. Had they tried to deny the resonance, both would have been in agony in the space of a few orns and further insubordinate behavior would lead to almost certain deactivation for both. The chassis can only handle so much strain, after all…” 

Megatron shrugged lightly and hesitantly ran his claws along Optronix back struts, regretfully stopping well short of the gently curving aft. “I have never met a resonant who regretted being claimed, if that is any comfort. They are the most pampered creatures in existence. Given everything they want, everything they need and possibly kept more sated then a professional… yes.” Clearing his vocalizer he looked away in embarrassment. It was possibly not a good idea to mention pleasure ‘bots to his Intended in this context.

“Oh…” That sounded weird. Was it possible for something to have such a strong hold over a pair of mechs? It sounded so unreal… But then, his being claimed by the Lord of another city-state was pretty far out there, as well. 

“He’ll be happy though?” Optronix demanded, purposely ignoring parts of Megatron’s statement for his own peace of mind. “That’s all that really matters, I think… As long as he’s happy…” 

If Perceptor could find a reason to be happy after being abducted and having no other choice but to stay with Starscream, surely he could find it in himself to be happy with Megatron? He would try… There was so much to enjoy in Kaon, anyway, so he wouldn’t be miserable here, no matter what his initial feelings had been…

“Yes… Starscream will do anything for him; he has been waiting as long as I have.” It was no lie, unless Optronix’s friend was unreasonable, he would be happy and in time resonance would be aided by love. “They have a lot in common; Starscream is still a scientist even if he is also a warrior and the leader of Vos.” 

What was his Intended thinking? Melancholy was almost tangible around him and Megatron would have given anything to remove it… why did it have to be this mess? Would he ever get the happy young mech back, the mech he had never quite had and yet seemed to know so much better than this closed off sad young one? A mech too grown up, settled on a loveless bonding just for the safety of his city-state…

Optronix nodded; he remembered that from what his old suitor had told him. “Perceptor will be happy about that. He has a passion for science that is not easy to match, I believe.” 

It kind of made the young mech wonder what their arguments would sound like, though he didn’t say as much. They would probably be filled with such big words that anyone around them would be left clueless as to what was going on though… 

Deciding he’d lingered in front of the red crystal long enough, Optronix looked around for the next interesting thing to examine. There were a number of crystals he had never seen, or only seen in data files, sprinkled around the garden, and he wanted to look at them all.

After a somewhat comfortable silence, Megatron decided to divulge more information, and said, “This garden is called Beloved. Its foundation was lost long ago but legend has it that it was built by the first ruler of this city-state for his mate, a delicate little Praxian…” 

The story was a mix of both fact and fiction; while the garden’s history had been lost, the history of the Warlord line had not. “We do have crystals here that date back to that time, lending a certain credibility to the claim. We also know that Warlord Swiftstrike would have moved Cybertron for his mate, had the little one desired it.” Megatron chuckled with amusement. “Luckily, Sunsinger was a mech of calm nature and few desires outside of those his Warlord mate could sate.”

“Really? That’s so romantic…” Was it wrong that Optronix wished something like that would be done for him? To have a mate that cared that much… Optronix sighed wistfully as he continued wandering through the garden. He caught sight of a table a little ways off the main path, and smiled without thinking when he realized that it was a game table, with… yes, those were definitely the pieces to a Turbofoxes versus Cyberwolves set! The Iaconian altered their course so they would pass by it, and noted that the pieces had been left at the end of a game, showing that the cyberwolf side had made a stunning win… 

“You play Turbofoxes versus Cyberwolves?” he asked, glancing in Megatron’s direction. It wasn’t uncommon, he insisted to himself. Loads of people liked it…

Megatron smiled with pride, remembering the game and Starscream’s indignant screech when he fell right into the trap. To be fair though, the onset of Heat made the Winglord a less than brilliant player. “Yes… it is one of my favorite games, though I seldom have the time to play – or an opponent.” 

“Oh… Maybe… maybe sometime we can play? Not tonight, it’s kind of late… But later?” Optronix offered shyly, clasping his hands nervously over his torso. It would be fun to have someone to play with even if it wasn’t Elita.

The warlord took one of the carved game pieces, turning it over in his claws idly as he responded, “I would be happy to play with you… and happy to go with you here whenever you feel like you need a little time away.” 

Gesturing around them, he smiled ferally and crooked his head to listen to the soft singing of the old, old crystals. 

“This is a place of peace, of romance and contemplation… it is yours to use, Optronix. It is the Warlord and his bond mate’s place of privacy. In fact, if you wish it so, it will be yours for as long as you need a place to be alone.” It would hurt not to be able to find peace in here but he could endure. Optronix likely needed it more than he did!

Optronix shook his head, saying, “I would probably get lost if I tried to come here on my own… And I’m, um, kind of a little… uncomfortable with the mechainsects that feed on some types of crystals.” The last was said in a rush, and Optronix ducked his head in mortification. It was something childish; irrational… he’d never even told Omega Alpha that. The pests were just so… creepy! Even if they did polish the crystals, make them look all the more beautiful… The idea of being around them by himself was not a happy one.

“Fear is nothing to be ashamed of…” Megatron reached out and tilted Optronix head back ‘til their optics met. “It is one of the first lessons we are taught: fear is a tool. Recognizing it for what it is and accepting that we are not perfect, that fear is necessary to survive, is integral to Kaonite society.” 

Optronix smiled a little, cheeks unusually warm. Of course that was true… but it was nice to hear it. Shyly, he moved closer to the warlord and took his hand, tangling their fingers together much like he had done earlier. It was unfair that his feelings kept going up and down so drastically regarding this mech… it was just so hard for them not to! He wanted certain things but he also had a responsibility to his city-state and Megatron was _trying_ … It was stupid and unbearably selfish to cling to the thought of his secret admirer in the face of those facts. 

“Well, um… are, do you have any time free tomorrow? I t-think I might like to come back then… if it’s okay?”

“I will always have time for you, Optronix.” 

That was the truth, unless, of course, the city-state was facing a war. If that ended up being the case, though, Optronix would be at his side. He hoped so, at least! He knew that his Intended was a very capable fighter; he had read the reports and seen the scores… 

“If you would join me at the training arena before dark fall, we could take our evening fuel here? Play a game or just enjoy the crystals…” The thought of Optronix watching him fight again was a good one, arousing though not nearly as dangerous as the other way around would be. 

“That sounds good,” Optronix replied, already planning his day around the meeting. It would be good to watch the mech in action again, and maybe if they spent more time together, he would be able to let go of the mech he had never even met… Optronix wrapped his other arm around Megatron’s much larger one, effectively hugging the appendage although he was careful to make sure he wasn’t pushing too far with the action. “I haven’t really got a whole lot to do, so I’ll probably be by early and loiter for a while…”

Perfect! “That is quite alright. You know I do not mind having an audience while I train.” 

Not that he could avoid having one and this particular mech… yes, he would make sure to perform well for his Intended! In Kaon, the act of shadow fighting had brought with it a discipline known as shadow dancing… and that, in turn, had spawned a type of interfacing foreplay that he hoped to teach Optronix. And there his processor went again… 

Huffing gently, he smiled and forced down his response to the warm chassis pressing closer by instead focusing his attention on what was going on around them.

Optronix smiled wider at the permission, relaxing further as they continued down the path, headed for only the gods knew where. It was completely instinctual to lift his pede when Scorponok raced by a bit later, Scavenger hot on his tail, allowing them both to pass by without a second thought. At least his pet had made a friend… that was important, it really was. Even when losing to larger kin, Scorponok was still happy… always happy now that it wasn’t so alone. 

The rest of the evening was spent clinging to Megatron’s arm and, in nearly equal parts, looking at the crystals and watching their drones at play, never seeming to get tired, either physically or of each other… It was only as they headed back inside and toward his rooms that Optronix allowed himself to wonder if he and Megatron would be able to be like that someday. If he thought about it too long, he would probably ask like the fool he was, and that was not good at all.

“Here we are…” Megatron hesitated; this was the first time they had been together where he had seen some of the mech he had gotten to know by letter. To be completely honest, he did not want it to end yet… Gently tilting Optronix’s head back, he captured his dermas in a kiss. This time, he kept it chaste even if it almost required violence to keep it so. Resting his forehead against the smaller mech’s a moment later, he huffed and spoke softly, “I will not lie to you, Optronix, but there are things I cannot tell you yet… but soon, very soon.” 

Stealing another kiss, just to torture himself, he broke away and gave his good recharge wishes. It felt, just a little bit, like cowardice… not that he had any choice! Oracle or not, Optronix had to be right for Kaon as well as for him.

Optronix bid his mate-to-be a good recharge, smiling in amusement and a little awe at his pet’s daring when the little drone leapt onto Megatron’s shoulder to nuzzle Scavenger in what must have been their version of the same parting before returning to him. He waited until he was safely locked away in his berth room before touching his fingers to his lip components, a strange, giddy smile spreading them as he remembered the kisses shared that evening. Even the reminder that the warlord was still not telling him everything couldn’t put a damper on the young noble’s mood as he pulled out one of the datapads he had been given upon arrival (the complete collection of Huffer’s works, which was just another suspicious thing to add to his ever-growing list, but they had turned out to be really good so it was no surprise that Megatron liked them, really) and settled onto his berth to read with Scorponok sprawled over his torso.


	16. Choosing Guards

He wasn’t sure when he finally allowed recharge to claim him but it was much later than usual when Optronix came out of recharge the next orn; he could hear Scorponok scurrying around on the floor, probably playing with one of his toys, and the distant ruckus that could usually be heard from the courtyard below sounded like a full-on battle instead, denoting that the orn was indeed already in full swing. The red and blue mech sat up and was rewarded with an immediate chirp of excitement and an impressive tackle from his drone, the creature’s steadily growing mandibles rubbing his chest and cheeks lovingly as he steadied himself. 

“Good to see you up and about, too, Scorp’,” he laughed, earning a light nip before the drone pulled back and scampered back off the berth to collect his toy and bound eagerly to the door. 

‘ _Someone_ is being demanding today,’ Optronix mused when he stood up and Scorponok’s tail started thumping against the ground audibly in excitement. He opened the door like an obedient servant to his pet and the drone barely waited until there was enough room to squeeze through before darting out and looking around the vast hall. After a moment of satisfying itself with the surroundings, Scorponok scaled the red and blue noble and chattered happily in whatever language drones used all the way to the dining hall, and all felt normal. The (hundredth, it seemed) shift in how he viewed his mate-to-be almost seemed like it hadn’t happened. So many changes in such a short span of time would surely affect even things like this, wouldn’t they…?

But that would just be silly, he supposed. Megatron was kind and yet firm, mysterious but sympathetic… It probably balanced out somehow. If it hadn’t, Optronix wasn’t so sure he would have been able to refuel as casually as he did, with his drone gorging itself on energon at his side and chattering all the while. Almost like it was telling him all the stuff it wanted to do today… 

An elderly mechservant arrived with an official summons, cutting into Optronix’s rather pointless mental ramblings, and the Iaconian accepted the interruption gratefully. 

As it turned out, the summons was from Megatron (no surprise there, really), although the reason for it was strange. Or, more precisely, the _lack_ of a reason was strange. Megatron was not usually so vague.

He dismissed the mechservant with a word of thanks and finished refueling, then departed for the requested meeting place.

* * *

Megatron rumbled a low laugh at Runabout’s dry remark and crossed his arms loosely as he turned to survey that which had caught the other’s attention. The elder twin had a dry wit that was both to the point and lewd in a way you had a hard time defending against and it had never to date failed to bring a smile to his dermas, and this time was no exception. The mech’s younger twin, Runamok, was examining the chosen weapon of the medic that had tangled so spectacularly with Wildrider, under the surveillance of said chassis guard’s rather disapproving glare. It fit the ‘mated with sparkling’ comment disturbingly well, actually… 

Hm… If his chassis guard didn’t tone it down soon he would be in for a world of teasing! Probably already was, come to think of it. It had been an unusual end to a tryout fight, but if he did not let his animosity g… unless it was something entirely different he was watching, like Runabout’s words suggested? In that case, Wildrider had still better tone it or he might push his quarry away rather than succeed. 

“I have never seen any of your guards so out of it, my lord.” Runabout’s voice was a little too raspy to be called pleasant but the mech could not help that. Even replacing his vocalizer entirely might not change that and the smaller mech had not seen any need for such an attempt. 

“It is rare,” Megatron agreed. “I do wonder when he will realize that you two hold little actual interest in Aquablast.” They shared a chuckle at that, abruptly ending when the doors to the room opened. 

Optronix was a bright splash of color among the more subdued ones they all held, and seemed poised though he was confronted with a room full of bigger mechs and a metaphorical wall of cool red optics upon entering. He knew a lot of them, of course, but it was still impressive that he could be so at ease among them. At the very least, he acted it well!

Megatron gestured him over when the mech’s optics met his. “Welcome, Optronix. I have someone here I would like you to meet.”

The Iaconian smiled politely and closed the door behind him before moving closer to the Warlord, only struggling a little to ignore the way his spark beats strengthened briefly and made him feel extra warm. 

“Yes?” he asked, looking inquisitively at the mech beside Megatron. 

“Runabout, lord Optronix,” Runabout introduced himself as he bowed politely, even as he assessed the slender, youthful frame before him. It was unlikely that Optronix would ever become as massive as a Kaonite but he would likely fill out a little in shoulder area as he got older. Hopefully not around his waist though; his current proportions in that area suited his posture well. The warrior amended his thoughts a little, however, as he straightened back up. If he was carrying, he could fill out wherever the Pit he wanted! 

“Runabout is himself a lord,” Megatron teasingly commented, little more than a playful admonishment of the younger Kaonite for his omission. It was fine if he and Optronix decided not to use titles but he would do best in making sure that others knew who he was and that such a thing was a privilege, not a right. “Do not let him forget that, Optronix, for he would like to forget it himself at times. He, and perhaps his twin at a later orn, will be your primary weapons teacher from now on. He is one of the best axe warriors we have, though he is proficient with most other weapons too.” 

“I stand corrected, my lord,” Runabout bowed his head to his warlord, just a tiny bit flushed. For a moment he had forgotten all manners! “It is true; I was given an axe by the priests of Unicron and my twin a bow. Of all weapons the bow is the one I am not proficient with and my twin tries to avoid axes when he can.”

“You may have trouble reminding us both of such facts, then, lord Megatron,” Optronix said with a sheepish smile directed toward the towering grey mech. His nobility wasn’t something he flaunted or even bothered to acknowledge most of the time in comfortable company, so if Runabout was willing to forget it, he was all for following suit…

He bowed slightly in Runabout’s direction and held out a hand to him though, willing to at least perform the formalities for their first meeting. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, lord Runabout. I am honored to be your student and look forward to learning much from you.”

“It is only important at a first meeting,” Megatron smiled crookedly and turned for a moment to see what the gathered mechs were up to. Mostly, they seemed nervous and hopeful. 

“It is an honor to meet you as well, lord Optronix, not to mention the honor of being chosen as your primary teacher. I am looking forward to see what you are going to give me to work with.” Runabout tried not to stare too much as he found his own hand literally engulfing the smaller one. He was not used to that! 

“Speaking of which, I hope you are ready to choose your guards, Optronix?” Turning back to the pair of them, Megatron flashed another, more intimate smile at his mate-to-be. 

Optronix shook the larger mech’s hand firmly and then let go so that he could turn toward Megatron and thusly and hide his amusement at the shocked look that had flickered across the other’s features. That was one thing that never got old – seeing others’ reaction to their size difference. He focused on the other mechs to keep from doing anything that might be offensive and nodded. “I’ve made up my mind, yes.”

“Good. Come with me then.” Nodding for Runabout to follow, he offered his hand to the Iaconian so that he could lead him to the group of his own chassis guards. Those few paces marked the duration of the hand holding though, for he directed Optronix almost immediately toward the reason he had been summoned.

“It is time for you to make your decision official. You may do this in any manner you like.” 

Runabout followed along, though not before flicking a small, eager smile in his brother’s direction and having the gesture returned. He took up a position at a respectful distance from the couple and tried not to give in to the anticipatory squirming his chassis so desired to do. He instead focused on the pair before him and couldn’t help but think that they did look good together. And so far Optronix seemed a very nice mech… somewhat gentle, but they would see about that.

Any way he wanted to? That wasn’t very helpful… Optronix sighed and refused to give in to the urge to look at Megatron pleadingly as the attention of the candidates became focused on him solely. Ratbat would have been totally ashamed if he did, for one thing! Even so, he couldn’t help squeezing Megatron’s hand briefly before moving away from the mech to approach the team leaders. He wasn’t sure what words would be appropriate or inoffensive, so he said as few as possible.

“You all showed a lot of skill and promise and each of your teams is well balanced, but in the end my decision is that Rage and his brothers are best suited for me. I wish the rest of you the best of luck in finding a good fit for yourselves,” he said, shaking each mech’s hand, starting with the leaders and then moving on to the others. “Thank you so much for your time.”

Straight to the point. Good! Runabout was pleased that his new charge refrained from dragging it out; there was too much tension for that to have gone over well. And it was a very nice touch that he would thank them all as individuals… all too often it would only be the leaders of a team. Whether or not these mechs returned when there was a call for more guards they would always be able to tell their families that they once shook hands with the co-ruler. 

Megatron thanked the ones that had not been chosen, stating that they were, as always, allowed to stay and apply for the palace or city guard or any other garrison in the main city. Optronix had once again shown that he knew how to talk to his new people! 

Honestly, he had thought he had cost his team their chance, even if he had managed to more than save faceplates in the second round. Auqablast rather felt like jumping and shouting with triumph, but knew that that wouldn’t be acceptable behavior. Now… if he could just get that Wildrider mech off his case, _then_ he would be a happy mech!

Unsure of what else to do, Optronix stood by while the other candidates said their goodbyes and filed out. Some of them looked disappointed, but overall they were good sports about it, which made it easier to not feel guilty about having made a decision. He really did believe, after all, that Rage’s team was best for him! Even if they had all been quite spectacular in their own way…

“And now comes the fun part,” Runabout said with a smirk after they were left alone with the newly decided team. He could feel his twin’s anticipation bolstering his own. Training others was something they loved – few could say that their work was also their passion but for the twin Kaonites it was the truth. And they would train these mechs very well even if it killed someone, for their new charges were those that would protect Kaon’s future. 

“Just remember they are supposed to survive the training,” Megatron said, but he was more amused than anything; the young twins were among the best fighters in Kaon with only two besting them. He was not ashamed to admit that he was not one of those two, though he was also among the best fighters – he had to be. 

“We are aware, my lord, but we’ll have fun anyway,” the offhand answer came, making Megatron chuckling openly even as he walked over to his Intended. 

“You made a very good choice, Optronix. They will serve you well.”

The praise made Optronix smile bashfully. “As I said, I feel that they are best for me… I suppose we shall see how right the decision was as we work together, now.” It was something he looked forward to even though his fuel tank felt twisted into knots with nervous excitement. 

“There is that, but you chose the team that worked best together and the one that held the… one individual best at adapting. Both those qualities are important.” Chassis guards were not meant to be decorative, so Megatron couldn’t have been more pleased that how this team looked didn’t have anything to do with his Intended’s decision! 

“Will you join me? Runabout and Runamok will give their first lesson to your new guards now and after that you will be expected to join in,” he said – an invitation and a tacit warning. It would indeed be interesting… 

Optronix nodded and allowed himself to be led by Megatron so that they were out of the way, but it was hard to look away from the scene being carefully orchestrated by Runamok and Runabout even for a moment. Part of him couldn’t wait until he was allowed to participate, even if it all but assured he would be aching by the end of the orn, but another part would be just as satisfied to watch masters in action until it was time to recharge!

“Come on, mechlings!” Runabout snapped, his brother finally leaving the wall behind to come join the fun. “We’re starting with a simple test – Drag Strip? Good, there you are, you are Optronix! The rest of your brothers are the assassins. Rage, your team has to protect Drag Strip and he’s not allowed to help at all!” 

As they ran into their places, he grinned and admitted to Runamok quietly that he had considered choosing Wildrider, but felt that would have been downright evil towards Auqablast. 

Runamok was spot on when he said that they could just do that next time. Aquablast was funny when he was trying to fend off the chaotic warrior’s playful antics.

* * *

‘Optronix’ died a lot that light cycle. Since this was a test of the guards and Drag Strip was not allowed to fight at all, he was clearly annoyed by the end of the preliminaries. Megatron found it highly amusing, but what really had most of his attention was that Runabout stayed near them, explaining to the real Optronix that what he was seeing was not nearly as hopeless as it seemed. Perhaps it was too soon to tell, but he thought that the gruff combat instructor was already developing a soft spot for the Iaconian…

But in all honesty, he enjoyed the proceedings far more when said Iaconian took to the floor. Optronix could fight – he was not yet an expert but he was by no means a bumbling beginner. It would have been a sin to keep this one from weapons. And the real Optronix survived better than the false one had as well. The new chassis guards adapted well to having a new fighter in their midst, too, though they seemed continuously surprised at his size… They seemed to forget it every time they turned their back on him!

He was surprised anew when Runamok stepped up near the end of the session and suggested bringing the drones into play though he was not disappointed by the result. But to make things even more complicated so soon… It was exactly the reason he had asked the twins to be his Intended’s trainers. Their skill and teaching methods were unparalleled! 

Everyone in the room looked a little worse for wear when all was said and done but Optronix was remarkably upbeat about it as they left the others behind. Megatron’s night guard was already waiting to tail them silently, which was good, the warlord thought. His light cycle guard would undoubtedly be eager to show their companions to their new living quarters. Wildrider especially…

Before he could become too immersed in those comical thoughts, he turned his attention to Optronix and asked, “So? What did you think of the training?” It was a safe topic to start, and would last until they reached a more private place to take their meal and relax before recharge.

“Terrifying,” Optronix answered honestly. “But also exciting. I don’t think I’ve ever been more worked up than I was this orn!” He couldn’t have kept the grin off his face if he tried! Even dented and carrying a soundly recharging Scorponok (who was sporting a large cosmetic patch job thanks to an accident with Drag Strip’s drone), he still felt like it was the best cycle ever. Or at least the best one in a very, very long time.

“Spoken like a true Kaonite.” The rumbling laugh was pleased indeed; Megatron had no intention of hiding how much that attitude was welcome. Maybe he should offer a reward… there was the chance that he would be called away but… yes, but.

“I had a thought… would you like to take our meal in the garden? I cannot promise that I will not be called away, of course, but it would be pleasing to play a game of Cyberwolves versus Turbofoxes with you. And we did have plans to return if at all possible, did we not?” It was a place that his Intended had enjoyed, and the game could be taken up again even if they were interrupted. The plan seemed all but perfect!

“Oh, could we?” Optronix asked. Being able to visit the garden again and refuel there would just make the perfect ending to the orn! “I’d really like to if we can. It’s such a nice evening and everything!”

“I would not suggest it if I did not believe I could deliver.” Smiling at his Intended, the grey mech commed the page ready to serve them at their dining room, asking for their energon to be brought to the garden instead. It was a very nice evening, after all; Hadeen had yet to set fully and nothing seemed like it would go wrong. 

‘And maybe,’ a thought whispered in the back of his processor, ‘maybe I will be able to steal another kiss.’

Optronix beamed. He didn’t doubt Megatron, of course, but he still worried that they might not be allowed. It was hard to think of something so wonderful actually being theirs to use at their leisure… 

It occurred to him that he was still rather jittery from the orn’s excitement, though, so he asked, “Could we take a bit of a walk while we refuel? I mean, after we drop Scorponok and Scavenger off since they would probably prefer to rest somewhere. But I’m still kind of wound up so I wouldn’t be able to sit still right now if I tried.”

Leading the way to the garden, Megatron wondered about the energy Optronix showed even as he replied, “Of course we can. There is no hurry this evening.” He seemed happier now than he had… since he had come here actually. Perhaps he should encourage Runabout in seeking more of the Iaconian’s time? It was worth a shot…

That was reassuring, Optronix thought. He didn’t want to feel rushed – a desire that was only reinforced when they entered the sanctuary of the garden and a cool breeze greeted them. He hummed happily at the feel of it before turning his attention back to Megatron. “Where should we leave the drones while we go for our walk?”

“It may be more beneficial to let Scavenger choose a place for them to rest.” Megatron let his drone down, noting quietly that it had been observing the injured one in Optronix’s arms with a fixation that would have been scary of not for the… well, the adorable display of fury it had had displayed towards Drag Strip’s Aria earlier. The Avisea model had been suitably apologetic and cowed.

Optronix nodded in agreement and carefully set Scorponok down beside Scavenger. He pet his drone gently when the creature chirred sleepily at him, but resisted picking him back up when he whined. Scavenger would be rather upset if he did, for one thing.

“Don’t worry, you’re in good, uh… claws. I’ll bring you something to eat later if Scavenger doesn’t beat me to it.”

“No need, it seems our meal has arrived.” 

Megatron had heard the doors to the garden open again and had turned to see two pages come in, one carrying a tray with their energon. Walking to them, he took the tray and asked that they would not be disturbed unless it was an emergency or they called for something. Returning to the two drones and his Intended he offered the Iaconian first pick as he scooped up a smaller plate filled with condensed cubes. 

“See? Cubes for the drones too. We are all used to thinking of our companions here.”

“Oh! I wasn’t expecting them to arrive so quickly,” Optronix said with a sheepish look. “Though I suppose I should have…” He selected a cube at random at Megatron’s prompting, not particularly caring what it tasted like as the proof of the orn’s exertions made itself known in his pitiably empty fuel pump. 

“Go ahead and refuel, Optronix, I’ll take care of our drones,” Megatron said with a laugh as he bent down and did just that, setting the cube where Scavenger would be able to easily drag it before taking a cube for himself and settling the tray on one of the short pillars that were scattered about near the garden entrance.

Once done, he offered his free hand to Optronix and asked, “Where do you want to walk?”

Optronix took a long drink from his cube and then offered a shrug as he looked around them. “I don’t care? Any way we go will have something worth looking at. So… This way?” He pointed and then took Megatron’s hand and went to the left, in the direction of a path lit with vibrant pink and blue and green crystal hedges lining it in tall, spiraling patterns, with the mindset that it was as good as any other direction right then.

They walked in silence for a few kliks, sipping their energon, before Megatron thought of something suitably lightsparked to talk about. 

“It looked to me that Runabout was pleased with the training,” he noted casually. “Runamok is a little harder to read but no one had to be carried out, at least.” 

“I hope they were both pleased. I know I’m nowhere near on par with the others but I was trying my best! And I’ll continue to do so,” the Iaconian said with conviction and a happy grin that gave way to a thoughtful expression. 

“When do you think we’ll have another lesson? There are a lot of things I have to learn, but I’d really like to learn that hand-to-hand technique Runamok demonstrated especially; the one where he had Rage pinned to the ground in, like, half an astrosecond? That one was so amazing!” 

He let go of Megatron’s hand again and threw his free arm out in an attempt to show the vastness of how amazing he thought it was as if Megatron hadn’t been there to see it for himself, then smiled and took another drink of his energon as they skirted around a few artfully sprawling crawling vines. Sure, the Kaonite warlord probably had seen and even knew more impressive moves, but the knowledge of that did nothing to curb Optronix’s excitement!

Megatron was a bit surprised at the question, though also quite charmed by the sheer enthusiasm that his Intended showed. The desire to learn, to know… even if he could not use the knowledge. Seeking knowledge and knowing how to make it into something useful, into wisdom, was any leader’s strongest talent. 

“You will train with them every orn where it is even remotely possible, Optronix. I am certain that they will teach you all they can, though you would definitely be helping them if you let them know what you are specifically interested in… Circuit-Su, for one, is a very specific fighting style and I am sure Runamok will be pleased that you have noticed him using it.” A keen optic for details was also important on the battlefield, and for that reason alone he knew the twins would be pleased.

“Ooh, okay. That was Circuit-Su? I’ve heard of it before, but never seen it in action.” That explained a lot, actually. Circuit-Su was all about swiftness and accuracy and taking down your opponent with the least amount of exertion possible, and Runamok’s technique had more than lived up to those principles! Optronix couldn’t help but feel even more worked up at the possibility of learning such a skill. He would have never had the opportunity in Iacon!

He fairly bounced down the path as he continued to contemplate all of the new things opening up to him. Truly, Kaon wasn’t such a bad place to end up when so many good things were becoming available… 

Megatron shook his helmet, dermas quirked in amusement. It seemed it would not be all that difficult to please his Intended; knowledge was something that was easy to give freely when you trusted the one you gave it to. A spark bond would ensure absolute trust… until then though, until the choice was made, they would both have to live with the things that were unsaid. 

“It was indeed, both of them have studied it with the masters from Helix. I am sure they will teach you some of it, it is an unprecedentedly effective way for a smaller frame mech to defend himself.” Both twins were smaller than average for Kaonites, though they were still a good deal bigger than the Iaconian.

“I take it you enjoyed the inclusion of the drones, too?” It had seemed that way despite the little accident.

Optronix nodded. “Oh, most definitely! It was so different from when it was just us though; that will take some getting used to for sure. The most I did back in Iacon with Scorponok was that he accidentally sent my entire combat class into a mad frenzy one orn. It’s hardly the same thing.”

“How did one small, barely fully grown drone manage to upset your entire combat class?” Megatron had to ask, his laugh a little incredulous. Not that there was not the occasional aggression issue with drones, but that sounded… huge. Of course, Optronix had known very little of his drone prior to arriving in Kaon, a thing he had not thought of when he had sent the little one as a gift.

“It wasn’t anything bad, but well, you know Scorponok. He’s very excitable and gets into things. A lot.” The noble laughed a little as well, the sound at once embarrassed and amused as he recalled the incident. “He saw all the people and maybe they reminded him of Kaon, considering the class at hand, and he just got so excited that he simply had to greet everyone in his own special way and knock things over in the process. By the end of the orn’s course, Kup proclaimed Scorponok to be his best student training device yet.”

“That sounds like the actions of a happy, well cared for drone. I must commend you. It must have been difficult for you to handle him in the beginning.” Of course he knew all about that, but somehow the story of the drone’s antics had escaped his two spies. Sad, he would have liked pictures of it. 

“I am sure that something could be arranged if this Kup, yes?, found one young drone that effective. The twins are currently engaged with you but there are others that would be up for traveling to your home city.”

“He was a bit of handful, but not too bad, I don’t think. And after I got the modification so I could carry him with me… He’s always been good, if overeager at times.” Optronix couldn’t think of a time where Scorponok had ever seemed like ‘too much’, or anywhere close to it. He was just really, really rambunctious when he wanted to play. 

“Kup would probably kiss anyone who brought him more drones to use in class demonstrations, however. He was totally enamored with Scorponok.” 

“I will be sure to mention that too, to any mechs that might be interested in knowing.” Megatron was entirely serious about that despite his quirked dermas. It would be good incentive to have someone go to Iacon for an extended stay, as teacher or as student. 

“Drones are our closest companions until we find a spark mate and most consider them as important as sparklings. Certainly, you can have no better protector for your offspring than a fully grown drone!”

“I can believe that. After seeing how everyone’s drones behave in combat, especially,” Optronix replied after he drank the rest of his energon. “Given the right situation, they would be downright terrifying to be up against!” 

Despite genuinely believing that, Optronix could only find awe for his own drone’s abilities. He smiled a little as he thought of Scorponok, who was a lot smaller than most others of his model and yet had managed to hold his own relatively well during training. It was an entirely different side to the little one that only earned more respect than his owner had already had for him!

“They are, but they are no more terrifying than certain of the wild Creatures of Cybertron. And far friendlier towards us…” Megatron grinned and bent to peck the smaller mech’s cheek with a kiss. It was a simple, careful gesture of affection, calculated to show approval. He hoped he was not doing it wrong.

“You are a natural with your drone, Optronix.”

Optronix smiled with delight even as his cheeks flushed slightly at the unexpected gesture. 

“Thank you,” he replied bashfully while fiddling with his empty cube. “I had a lot of guidance and Scorponok is really good at showing me what he wants and needs as well though, so I can’t take all the credit. And being here, with others who can give me tips at any given moment, has also played a great role.”

“‘A drone in only as good as its bondpartner,’” Megatron quoted his own weapons teacher, long retired now, and smiled somewhat vacantly as his thoughts went back to those days for a moment before he returned to the present. He sometimes missed it… 

“Scorponok is young but he shows all the promise in you better than you yourself do. Runamok and Runabout were very pleased when I was speaking to them during the break.” Of course, they were even more pleased with the lack of self glorification the young Iaconian showed. Boosting and delusions of grandeur took time to disprove after all.

“If you keep praising me so, I fear I might fall over from how big my head will become!” Optronix laughed. “I’m only being myself, and so is Scorponok… We’re naturally easy-going and hardworking, I guess.” Even as he spoke, his spark swelled happily. To know that they were pleased with him, however strange it might seem to an outsider considering what they were pleased about, was quite satisfying!

“I apologize; it is only that I seldom have the pleasure of seeing someone young train. I fear I got caught up in the excitement…” In more than one way, if he was completely honest. It had helped that Optronix was not alone in his training; it made it less reminiscent of shadow dancing… less erotic. 

But not by much.

Megatron rebooted his vocalizer to clear any possible static before speaking again. “I hope I will be welcome at other training sessions?”

“It’s fine. And of course you are!” Optronix paused for a moment, rethinking that, before amending himself. “But not every time, okay? If you know all my tricks, I’ll never be able to surprise you when we can eventually spar!”

“I think I can safely promise that I will not be able to watch as much as I want… you will have plenty of secrets to keep,” he laughed, but the laughter had a bittersweet edge to it. When all was said and done he could not spend as much time with the Iaconian now as he wished… It would be different when they, if they, bonded. Then Optronix would be his co-ruler and everything would change. Which was why this was all so important to his people, why he was dragging them both though deceit and pain… 

It would be worth it in the end!

“Good. I wouldn’t want you to have any unfair advantages when you already have the gifts of age and experience on me!” 

Optronix smiled to soften the teasing jibe as they made a turn and found themselves back in the entrance area. Their drones were nowhere in sight but they had obviously eaten, which made the Iaconian happy. Scorponok was in the best possible care and he was getting to spend time with the mech that would soon be his partner for life… That title did not bother him as much as it had not so long ago.

Megatron smiled back even as he drained his cube and then took Optronix’s empty one to put them where they would be easily remembered for cleanup. 

“Time for a game? Or do you want to attempt finding our wayward drones before that?” There was not much luck that they would, he knew that well, but he could see Optronix looking so figured it prudent to offer. Drones had a need for alone time too, but of course, if they really needed them they would know and come… there was no need for that right now though. 

“And, more importantly perhaps, do you wish for more fuel? Some snacks or candy?” 

Optronix nodded and headed to the tray of energon as answer to the question about fuel while he answered, “I think they would rather be left alone or they wouldn’t have bothered to hide, right? And we would just bore them anyway if we’re only going to snack on energon and play games…” 

“Right, they will come when they are ready.” Megatron waited until Optronix took a couple of goodies before he took the tray and brought it with him to the game set, where the pieces still stood as they had been left when Starscream and he last played. 

‘Ah, what a joyous round this was…’ He sighed wistfully, remembering Starscream as he always did when he looked upon this victory. He saved thoughts of how his friend might be doing at this moment for a later time though, knowing all too well what they might lead to, especially in the presence of his own desires.

“The pages and servants leave this set in peace apart from dusting it from time to time since it is my personal board,” he explained to Optronix absently, unable to recall if he had mentioned it before. 

“Which setup do you prefer, and do you play Cyberwolves or Turbofoxes?” Settling the tray on a small side table as he asked, the warlord started to collect pieces, lining them up on the side to await use.

While Megatron got everything set up, Optronix took it upon himself to begin arranging some small cubes of energon and treats for them so that he wasn’t just standing around, though he couldn’t resist popping one or two into his mouth while doing so. Kaon had such tasty goodies, so he couldn’t be blamed, surely!

“I’m not particular on setup and I play both, but Turbofox is my preference. I’m still learning to handle Cyberwolves. My friend Elita was always much better at that side than me.” 

“Then I will set it for a small scale battle only, that we might learn each other’s preferences and maybe have a chance at finishing a game this cycle.” Not that he minded returning to a game but since they did not know each other’s styles yet it would be better to start in the aforementioned manner.

“Sounds good to me.” Optronix laid out their snacks within easy reach once he had them organized with minimal casualties to the goodie stockpile and then watched as Megatron assembled the armies for war on one small section of the board. It was still large by his standards, but nothing like that which the previous match had taken up!

“Do you know this setup?” Putting the last pieces in place, Megatron took a chair and sat down, belatedly realizing that there was nothing appropriate for the Iaconain’s smaller stature. 

“Oh, one moment, Optronix.” Calling a page, he explained what they needed.

Optronix appreciated the gesture but that wasn’t why he waited patiently for the page to return with more suitable furniture for him; the only thing that kept him from saying it wasn’t necessary was the fact that Megatron was trying to be considerate of him. It wasn’t a hardship at all for him to get into or out of the larger chairs (he did it all the time when he wasn’t in his own rooms) but it was nice to have someone go out of their way to accommodate him nonetheless. He would just carefully bring it up some other time…

Instead, he focused on Megatron’s question, shaking his head and pointing to the Cyberwolf side as he said, “It looks kind of like one I know – ‘The Friendly Dispute’ – but all of your front-liners are in the wrong places for that one.” He considered his own pieces and then pointed at the two petite turbofoxes that were in identical ‘searching’ poses as well. “And my scouts are too close to the center of the battlefield, too.” 

“This is a variant of that scenario actually; it is called ‘Friendly Skirmish’. It is a bit more… aggressive than its originator scenario,” Megatron nodded approval, glad that Optronix was willing to share guesses and point out differences so freely. The fact that he was talking to him this easily! Oh yes, it made him happy!

“It is a much shorter game too, you see how the scouts are only about four moves apart?” he pointed to his own scout pieces and then to Optronix’s, “They are there for confusion, not for scouting, but I will show you. If you are willing to have this be more of a teaching session than a gaming session?”

“That’s fine by me,” Optronix replied, then settled into the seat that was presently brought for him. He more than readily leaned over the board and asked, “What are the front-liners doing, if not the job their title implies?” 

“They are the heavy hitters of this game, not precisely frontlines.” 

Megatron explained the game pieces and the origin of this particular scenario in as much detail as he could. It made the game about twice as long as it would have otherwise been but that mattered little to him. What mattered was the way Optronix asked questions, dived into the experience in full. Such curiosity… such excitement.

Of course he won. This was a new scenario for the younger mech and he was busy learning, and Megatron did nothing to flaunt his victory. It had been a very good game, intellectually stimulating like any good Cyberwolves versus Turbofoxes game should be. 

“You have some novel ideas for ambushes. If you don’t mind my asking, are they based on Iaconain battle tactics?” It was tactics that fitted smaller opponents, and he was truly curious as he studied the board.

Optronix nodded absently and looked up from where he had been organizing their ‘fallen’ pieces on the sidelines like a bizarre cheering squad. “Some of it, I’ll admit. But there’s also some Yussian. Elita had a lot of influence on my playing style since she’s the one I’ve played with most, and she’s from Yuss.” 

“That is very interesting… I have not attempted to contact Yuss yet so I’m very unfamiliar with them, but I doubt they would take too kindly to an offer of peace right now. But in time I hope it will be different.” In time, the planet would no longer be made up of reclusive, cut off city-states, Seekers would no longer have to kidnap their resonance partners and Kaonites would walk the streets of Yuss as Yussians would walk the streets of Kaon. Megatron believed that with all his spark.

Optronix smiled a little bit as he thought of his own Yussian friends. “I think that at least some of them would be happy to reach an alliance with you now. But as for the whole state… perhaps just a ceasefire to start? Then you would be able to show them over a span of time that you are genuine in your offers. They’re forgiving, truly, but stubborn as well. It’s a… difficult combination.”

“Kaon has not been in open war with anyone since my grandcreator’s rule and my own Creators started the work I hope to finish. It may be a fool’s dream that I can finish it, but I will at least try to leave a legacy of peace for my descendants.” He smiled at the smaller mech even as he corrected him. Optronix could not have known this, for obvious reasons as Iacon’s image of Kaon was almost as bad, he guessed, as the one Yuss had.

“Well, see? You’re even closer than I thought, then!” Optronix said optimistically. “I don’t think it’s a fool’s hope to want to do something good though. There’s nothing wrong with doing everything you can in the time that you have so that future generations can be happy…”

“I think my folly lies in wanting it to be me that does it, rather than the future generations,” chuckling he winked teasingly at the Iaconian. Then he huffed and looked up at the sky. It was dark and most of the stars were invisible due to the glow of the crystals and the light of the lamps around them. 

“I fear it has gotten quite late…”

“Nonsense. It’s a noble wish,” Optronix responded, but turned contemplative as he, too, glanced at the sky. “I don’t feel tired though. It hardly seems like it’s been a joor since we first got here!”

“It has been almost three joors, but I agree with you… and spending time with you is a joy.” Not the best or most elegant compliment he had ever given but good enough. Megatron would not say that he was tired either, a few joors of recharge would be good enough.

The comment made the Iaconian beam. “Likewise. The whole orn has been really great! I guess I just don’t want it to end even if, by all rights, we should both be exhausted!”

“It is hard to feel exhausted when you are enjoying yourself,” Megatron agreed, and also, silently, agreed with the Iaconian that he did not want it to end. But all things had an end, even a near perfect orn.

“Yeah… But we should probably clean up and head in anyway, huh?” It was obvious that neither of them cared for the prospect but what else could they do? Their regular duties, Megatron’s especially, would not wait until he had had sufficient sleep…

“I think… I think we could skip the cleanup and take a small stroll before becoming sensible?” Rising, he offered a hand to the Iaconian, smiling hopefully. It was a little unfair to leave everything to the pages, but as was so often pointed out by miffed staff, when in private of course, they were there for that.

Optronix hesitated between the invitation and his instinct to straighten things up. He hated making others clean up after him, but… Well, once in a while couldn’t hurt, right?

He took Megatron’s hand and allowed the other to guide him up and away from the game set. “Another stroll sounds lovely. It’s such a nice night out that it would be downright shameful to put it to waste by going inside any sooner than we have to!”

“And this way I won’t have anyone yelling at me about the proper use of servants so we shall count our blessings,” Megatron laughed and tugged the smaller mech’s hand into the crook of his arm and led him deeper into the garden again.

Optronix laughed softly and snuggled into Megatron’s side. “The staff berates you for taking care of your own messes? They would surely love my uncle, then. He’s very… traditional.”

“They berate me for not holding to the proper order of things… and I do realize that I don’t know how to do half their chores, and the other half I only do maybe half as well as they, but I like doing the little things. It makes me feel like a part of Kaon, instead of just its ruler,” from what he knew he was inclined to believe that about the high Scholar, not that he could say so…

“All I know of the High Scholar is that he is a powerful mech who does little with his power?”

“I agree with you about the little things. I don’t like feeling so distant with the world… Doing simple things has always helped, and I think I’ve mentioned before that I genuinely like doing them?” The Iaconian was pretty sure he had, but he could be wrong… He shrugged a little. “But anyway, yes, that about sums up Ratbat – at least, his public figure. He’s actually rather awkward in private, which leads him to behave formally… He tries hard though. I don’t mean to sound immodest, but I think he raised me very well despite his personality.” 

“I think you are right, and there is nothing immodest in taking pride in family… I take a great deal of pride in mine, both the near and the far. Even the old one, for the most parts,” smiling he gestured to the garden, memories of his Creator telling him stories of the warlord who had ordered ‘Beloved’ built, some true, some not… or maybe all of them true? Who knew. 

“Your Ratbat did very well and I can only hope he will agree to meet me one day.” Preferably with no hidden agendas or hate to cloud it all. He would like to know the mech that had managed to secure Optronix’s love while being… who the mech was.

“I’m positive he will. At the very least, Skater will see to it that they come to visit once in a while so Ratbat won’t have any other choice. If he got to talk to you, I doubt he would regret letting Skater demand things of him like that…” Optronix smiled a little at the thought. He really wanted Ratbat to like Megatron because Megatron was truly worth getting to know, and who better to convince him to put forth the effort than the High Scholar’s own soon-to-be mate?

“And who is Skater?” The name stirred a vague recollection, but nothing more. Megatron had focused on what was near to his Intended, not what happened on the fringes of his life… Actually, he was rather happy that there was something he did not have to pretend about. Stopping for a moment, he silently pointed to a very pretty ‘image’ that the gardeners had coaxed Mithrai crystal into over a period longer than his own long life… it was still not done. It was however now possible to see that it would become a highly stylized image of the Kaonite crest.

“Oh! Yeah, uh… Skater is Ratbat’s personal assistant and they’ll be bonded soon. I’m not sure on the details of why that happened, but… Oooh… That’s beautiful!” Optronix found no shame in admitting his instant distraction as he moved closer to the crystal, pulling Megatron behind him. It was recognizable but obviously a work in progress still… “What kind of crystal is this? We don’t have anything like this in Iacon!”

“Interesting…” It was. It must have happed after Optronix left because he would have known something that important had it been planned before he secured the Iaconian. “It is Mithrai, fairly common here and in Vos too… I would think you have it in Iacon too, but maybe it is not used like we do it? It does not get much bigger than what you see here, grows very slowly and is easy to tend. I must show you one of the public parks someorn; we have such images that are thousands of vorns old.”

“Maybe not… I can’t recall anything like it but as you said, we may use it differently too. Or perhaps it grows better in the cooler climates?” Optronix mused as he studied the crystal. “Whatever the case, I think I could become quite fond of it. And I would definitely like to see more when we have a chance to!”

“We shall have to arrange for that then… and you will have to get your guardian to spill that story, it sounds… rather juicy.” Mostly he was just out for a laugh, all in all he was not that interested in High Scholar Ratbat’s life and infamy. Apart, of course, from the fact that he was Optronix’s uncle by coding.

“I would have better luck coercing Skater into speaking of something so personal,” Optronix pouted. That was not to say that he wouldn’t attempt it, of course. He was curious! But Ratbat was stubborn about sticking to ‘polite’ conversation and Optronix was sure that whatever had transpired was not so simple and clean or else it would have happened much sooner.

He huffed and leaned against Megatron once more, putting the thought aside for the time being. “Nevermind them though. Let’s continue our walk.”

“As you wish, lovely one. Oh! Remind me to show you the garden’s spark… It is too late this dark cycle, but some orn.” And if they went there now… well, he would not be responsible for what might happen. And nothing could happen between them, not yet. It was getting more and more difficult to wait though. 

A subject change was definitely order, the warlord thought. “Have you read some of the history pads I sent you?” 

“I will, perhaps the next time we’re here if we don’t get caught up in another game first!” It would be hard to resist since every time Megatron mentioned something to show him, it was even more spectacular than the last. But then, playing Turbofoxes versus Cyberwolves had also been highly enjoyable… They would just have to see, Optronix supposed.

He nodded at the mention of the history pads, allowing them to divert him. “I have; a lot of Kaon’s culture is so different from Iacon’s, which makes it really fascinating to learn about. It’s a wonder that I can put them down sometimes!”

“I am glad you can take honest interest in my home city-state, and, if I dare presume it, in my family history. It is of course a matter of pride but there is also something… well, I feel it is vital for us both to lean about each other. I have done my very best to be deeper acquainted with Iacon’s history, in fact.” And the particular history of the mech beside him, but that was a truth for another orn. It was enough to tell that he did not expect such a thing to be one way.

“Your family history is a huge part of Kaon, so of course I’m interested in it. History is one of my favorite subjects, you know,” Optronix explained. “I wouldn’t mind teaching you about Iacon sometime if you’re interested, since you’ve helped me learn so much about Kaon… I mean, you can only know so much when our city-states are closed off from one another, right? And it’s hardly fair to take information without giving something in return so I think it would be both my duty and my pleasure since I’m the only Iaconian around here.” 

“I would be honored, Optronix,” and he was very sure that the young mech was right. There was always a difference in how an outsider looked upon a culture and how it was living in one. Knowledge of the last was desperately needed to make all of his plans for the future work. That lay behind his hopes for his elite choosing mates from other citystates, a personal hope… he was not going to push… too much at least.

Optronix grinned. He wasn’t at all surprised at how excited he felt to be able to share something with Megatron and know that the mech was genuinely interested to learn it. Unfortunately, it was quite late and if he started now, he wouldn’t stop… That subdued the Iaconian a little bit, enough to say, “We should probably sensible now though. It’s only getting later…”

“You are right… I believe it is my duty to escort you to your suite then!” Megatron knew it was perhaps not the best choice, but he could not help himself. He needed to do it, and needed to steal a good dark cycle kiss. Even as he berated himself for the torture he was inflicting, perhaps on them both, he didn’t take the words back or try to talk himself out of doing it.

“That’s quite acceptable. Should we collect our drones or leave them to themselves?” They hadn’t seen the two since they first departed but surely they wouldn’t be hard to find? Optronix wasn’t so sure it would be necessary though; Scorponok obviously felt safe with Scavenger and if the drones didn’t think it pertinent to rejoin them by now, they probably didn’t have plans to any time soon.

“I think we should leave them. I would think your little one is already in recharge and neither will take kindly to be woken.” So saying, Megatron began gently steering the smaller mech towards the exit. He was not at all concerned for the drones… he was a little concerned about the eagerness that was in him at the thought of a kiss though. Like he was still a mechling, innocent but willing… eager to experiment and learn his partner from helm to pedes.

“I figured,” Optronix replied as they left the garden and reentered the palace proper. “I’m still learning about them so I wanted to make sure is all. Wouldn’t want Scorponok to think I was abandoning him or anything!”

“You would have to travel a lot further than merely to your room here in the palace for him to think that,” Megatron laughed at that, dermas stretching in a full grin. “And even then I think he would merely attempt to travel to you, not revert to a wild state… to my knowledge no one has ever attempted such a thing, drones are our companions after all.”

The Iaconian smiled, glad to know that in this instance at least, Scorponok would be okay with being apart from him. “I’ll not be the first to try it, I can assure you. I just remember how Scorp’ was before I got my mod so that he could go with me when I had classes or trips. But if you say its fine, then it must be.” 

“Believe me, that is an entirely different matter. In Iacon you were all he had, and he was younger even than now… he still needs you more than he will when he is older, but as long as the bond is new and frail they need closeness. Physical closeness, not merely pets and fuel,” they arrived at the corridor where Optronix rooms lay and Megatron found himself walking just a fraction slower… even if it forestalled a kiss, he wanted to draw out their time together on this peaceful cycle.

“I think I understand. It seems a lot like having a sparkling, or what I imagine having a younger sibling would be like? Which is just fine by me.” 

Optronix slowed to match Megatron, sharing in the unspoken desire to not end the evening. A small part of him almost wished they didn’t have to part – that they were already through with the bonding and everything, because then they could just lay side by side and talk until they fell into recharge together… He couldn’t even bring himself to feel bad for thinking such things when they reached his door and finally came to a stop altogether. 

“So, um… I guess this is where we say good recharge…” The younger mech really, really didn’t want to.

“I guess, even good times must have an end…” Sadly, that was only too true. He could, however, make sure to end it very well if Optronix let him though he didn’t say so. Instead, he lifted a hand to cup the Iaconian’s cheek plating, intent on showing him as he leaned closer, slowly, giving the other plenty of time to refuse the kiss to come.

There was no hiding the hitch in Optronix’s vents when Megatron touched him, his intentions clear. He knew what was about to happen but there was no desire to just resign himself to it. Resignation was actually furthest from his mind as his optics offlined and he tilted his helm up, welcoming the soft brush of dermas against his own!

He was not good at keeping his feelings in tight reins when it came to this mech, this one he had waited so long for. The kiss lasted longer and became far more heated than it should ever have been… and Megatron only broke it with reluctance when he could feel his interface components stirring restlessly. 

“Pleasant recharge, lovely one, I will see you after dawn,” he whispered, and almost, almost, claimed another kiss, but prudence won and he left, not even waiting for the other to return his good recharge wishes.

Optronix, still panting and feeling quite weak kneed, somehow managed to push open his door and stumble inside after Megatron’s massive form had long since turned the corner down the hall. He had not expected to be kissed like that! Well, he had not _expected_ to be kissed at all though he secretly wished such pleasurable contact were more frequent, but could understand why it had happened, technically speaking… 

His lips tingled and his chassis felt hot and it was only as he was climbing into bed that he was able to fully comprehend that it was arousal, plain and simple, that made it so. Not just for the physical aspect of it, but the passion that his Intended had displayed in that relatively harmless deed. To replay it in his mind had his hands wandering, his fantasy from before of them lying side by side transforming into something much less innocent as he began wondering what it would be like to be kissed like that as the Kaonite warlord lay over him, and even thinking that he had once imagined his mystery suitor doing such things could not make the young mech feel guilty for gasping Megatron’s name into his pillow as he found release moments before recharge claimed him.


	17. And time flows ever on...

The attraction that had drawn him to release did not dwindle in the least over the next few orns. Each stolen moment with Megatron made Optronix like the mech more and more; every little touch, every topic discussed, every minute gesture of acknowledgement and the feeling of companionship that he would not have expected at all made him… happy. That was a good word for it, he thought often as training resumed and Scorponok got better and was able to take part in the excitement again. He was happy with this. He could live with it.

What time he could get with Megatron was filled with fascinating conversations ranging from culture to art to people they had known, did know, or would like to know, and many other things in between, but it was mostly the first that got him thinking. Iaconian custom said he should give Megatron something for their bonding ceremony, but what do you give a Warlord? He, who could buy just about anything, did not have many wants or needs unfulfilled…

The more he thought about it, though, the more he realized and was thus able to come to terms with the fact that this was actually happening and he _could_ be happy with it. That, in turn, reminded him that he never had gotten to say good bye to his suitor…

Though he wanted nothing more than to simply take action when he reached a conclusion to his thoughts, Optronix let the situation stew for a while before he finally decided to find Ambassador Barricade. If he could get a letter off to his suitor, he could put that to rest, at the very least! Whether the mech got it or not, he would likely never know, but he was determined to try.

* * *

It became increasingly difficult to play the part of the ignorant. Optronix was a fascinating individual and he did not know near all of the mech. But he did know a lot more than he should have… Burying knowledge in teaching, he did his best to keep his difficulties minimal. It was a great help that the young Iaconian had an inquiring processor. 

He was a scholar and a warrior; intelligent and eager. But Optronix was more than just a young mech with talents and drive, there was something about him that Megatron had a hard time defining, a fire that seemed eternal, undying.

And there was another benefit, an unforeseen one that he might have foreseen if he had been able to truly think past the idea of having a mate. 

Seeing Kaon with the optics of someone not of Kaon was... a unique experience. Stereotypes were one thing, he knew what others thought of their city state. Isolated, warlike... scary, powerful. They were looked upon with fear more often than not. 

But Kaon was so much more than war. Sure, they were warriors almost before they learned to speak properly but that was not what defined them, not to themselves at least. They were explorers, travelers, teachers, scholars, and above all, _family mechs_. 

For a Kaonite, family was the most important thing. To Kaon's Warlord, Kaon itself was his family… It did not stop him from wanting something a little bit closer. Watching the little Iaconian settle in gave him hope, let him dream. It had been so very long since he had last allowed himself that...

* * *

It was a little strange to be back at in Kaon, city and city state alike. Barricade found himself yearning for something different, something he rarely did. It did not help that he had started an internal debate with himself regarding the chances he might have with the mech he had begun to, cautiously, dream about. 

His warlord was truly of little help there, being far too curious and more than willing to ask questions. It was not an offending thing but he was too private to really know what to answer with; after all, he had someone firmly in sight but no clue if it would prove fruitful. If the beautiful blue Iaconian might actually give him a chance… There was a chance too big for his comfort that he would not, as he had made his opinions on nobility very vocally clear. 

Having managed to duck most of the more personal, questions he bowed to his lord and retreated to prepare for traveling back to Iacon. His task as ambassador was, thankfully, not quite over. And what free time he had managed to negotiate for himself would be put to good use while he was there; he had a mech to woo and win, if it was at all possible. 

Slipping from the throne room, the black mech felt giddy anticipation take over for the more serious weight of duty. Was this how the Warlord had felt on his way back from the Praxus islands?

Catching Barricade was a task and a half, Optronix quickly realized as he looked up and down what seemed to be the entire palace for the mech over the next couple of orns after his decision had been made. It didn’t help that he couldn’t be consistent because of training and getting to know his guards in general… And through it all, he still spent as much time as he could with Megatron. 

Presently, he had plans to do just that. He had been immersed in a history file for the better part of the morning and had a couple of things that he wanted to discuss about it when Megatron had a moment, so he was chatting with the guards outside the throne room while he waited – it was pure luck that he just so happened to be there when none other than Barricade walked out and made an immediate turn in the opposite direction like a mech on a mission. Then, of course, Optronix had a bad moment trying to decide if he should catch Barricade or go in to see Megatron as he had planned… Well, when would he have an opportunity like this again? Bidding the guards farewell, he subspaced the history file and took off down the hall, ignoring the agitated chattering of his drone at the sudden movement and probably some annoyance over being deprived of play time with Scavenger.

“Ambassador Barricade!” he called as he hurried after the black Kaonite. He tried not to be too loud since that was rude and there were others around who were trying to work, but he _needed_ to speak to the mech!

Ambassador? Being called that when in Kaon was rare enough that Barricade stopped and turned almost immediately. The small, smooth plated and bright colored mech rushing after him was one he would be able to recognize for the rest of his long life. He smiled and bowed when the mech stopped in front of him.

“Lord Optronix, a pleasure to see you. What might I help you with?” he had a sneaking suspicion of course, and was not entirely sure what to think about it, much less do. But he would see and take it as it came.

Optronix smiled sheepishly, bowing politely as he stopped before the mech. “I have a small favor to ask if you’re not in too much of a hurry.” He forced down the sudden rush of nerves and the very real fear that Barricade would say no (for he could, for any number of reasons), and clasped his hands together in a gesture of pleading. “Could you… I mean, if it’s not too much trouble, would you take one more letter to my suitor? I, I have some things that I wish to say to him even though he surely knows what has happened by now…”

Barricade had no pressing duties to attend to and little wish to snub his future lord. Still the request did put him in a rather… difficult position. Admitting that he knew the suitor, though Optronix had to know or at least be fairly certain that he or Soundwave had been involved in it already, might not be the best idea. Still, it was a letter and only a letter. He would not get into trouble over one letter! And even if there had been any reason to truly get in trouble, it was for this. 

Hesitating with answering was doing neither of them any good though. 

“I will do it for you, my lord, but I can only do it once… I am loyal to the warlord of Kaon above all else,” he carefully made sure to sound neutral. There was no reason to scare the young mech after all.

“I understand,” Optronix replied, and he meant it. He knew it was a lot to ask but he couldn’t _not_ ask… “I wasn’t even sure if you would know how to find him, and I would not ask for even once but…” Yes, but… The Iaconian sighed softly and shook himself from those thoughts. He fumbled through his subspace for a spare datapad. “Um, if you could give me but a moment, this won’t take long?”

“I have all the time you need, my lord,” Barricade could not help smiling softly at the young mech. Nor could he help that his thoughts, for a moment only, turned to another young (though not this young) Iaconian. There was just so much likeness for a moment there! Even some of the colors were right and he… Well, he should not be thinking about that now. 

Traditions could be such a pain at times, it would have been so much easier if Megatron could have told Optronix who he was and why he had courted him like this in the beginning. The warlord’s hands were bound though, and he had done what he thought best of the both of them. Still… it had to be hard on the both of them, however well they hid it.

Gratefully, Optronix smiled again at Barricade and then sat right where he was so that he could place the pad on his knee while he wrote. It would be shaky writing regardless, but at least this way there was _some_ stability! He hardly noticed when Scorponok clambered down from his perch and went over to Barricade, clicking and chirruping as he nuzzled the other endearingly, seeking attention.

“Why hello there, little one,” Barricade crooned, willingly taking the distraction from his thoughts. The drone had grown, but it looked very different from Kaonite drones… not nearly as spiky, the colors brighter and more… well, more cheerful and decorative. Barricade faltered on however else to label it; the drone just looked pretty, and seemed happy and inquisitive still… just as it had when he had delivered the little thing. He had had to be careful that the drone did not latch onto him then, almost as careful as when he had to travel with the Corax. 

“Are you a pretty one?” he squatted down and offered his hand for exploration, “yes, you are a pretty little drone, yes you are,” he kept his voice soft, gentle.

Scorponok chirred at the praise and nuzzled immediately into the hand, mandibles tickling the palm as he reacquainted himself with the black mech. He remembered him, of course, and missed seeing him regularly… After a moment, he scuttled forward further to pull himself up onto Barricade’s knee so he could nuzzle his cheek plating as he clicked rapidly at the large mech.

“And curious too,” Barricade had little problem indulging the drone, letting it explore and petting it gently. He loved drones and it had been a hard decision not to bond one… yet. Eventually he would, his own estate had a very well renowned drone breeding facility and there were hardly any mechs beholden to him that did not have a drone from that selfsame facility. When he found the time, settled down… yes, he would choose a drone for himself, or let one choose him.

Optronix finally took notice of Scorponok’s actions as he finished his hasty message, and couldn’t help but smile softly. His drone made no effort to act like he didn’t know Barricade, so it was definitely safe to assume now that the mech had had at least some part in all the gift giving and message delivery before. The thought was sparklifting and Optronix took what comfort he could from that fact as he saved the note and labeled it so that it would be easy to find. 

“He’s a rather lovable sort and the two things seem to go hand in hand, curious and lovable. And I imagine he’s missed you since we had to leave Iacon so suddenly… But, um, I’ve finished my message… I wish I had time to write more but prolonging it would only make things worse, wouldn’t it?”

“He is gorgeous, if very different from most, and they do take after their bond partner,” with a small teasing on/offlining of his right optic he delivered the compliment. “It was all very abrupt, yes,” Barricade carefully did not say anything that could outright acknowledge that he had been in contact with the little drone. But he knew he might as well have, what with the little thing being so happy to see him. 

“I… would not know, little lord, but I think you will do right by this no matter what,” gently putting the drone down he got up and offered the smaller Iaconian a hand up.

The smaller mech accepted the hand and got to his pedes, though not without a slight flush lingering about his cheeks at the playful compliment. 

“I’m starting to think all Kaonites enjoy making foreigners blush,” he said while offering the pad to Barricade. “But thank you. For… for everything.”

“No need to thank me, little lord, I will always be at your service…” He did not restate that his loyalty was to his warlord. Barricade knew that the young Iaconian was more than intelligent enough to remember. And strong enough not to beg for what was impossible. Then he grinned as cheekily as he dared here in a public place. 

“We only enjoy making the pretty ones blush – heat tinted face plates are so very attractive after all!” Without further ado, he took the datapad, bowed and left, figuring that a quick break would be better for the young mech at this moment in time.

Optronix couldn’t decide if he was grateful or not that Barricade did not stick around to see how that comment brought back heat to his cheeks with a vengeance, but decided to just let it go when Scorponok scaled him and began chattering as he settled in his hold. He supposed he should probably go find something productive to do, anyway, as the orn was not going to wait for him and Megatron was surely busy again. Perhaps he could find Rage or Hydradread and ask them to spar with him so that he could get more used to them… He didn’t feel like sitting still at all.

* * *

Barricade waited till later in the orn to deliver the letter. He did not think that Optronix would keep tabs on him, as far as he could see the young Iaconian had adjusted to his ‘fate’, but he did not want to cause undue grief. His warlord took the letter and dismissed him and this time he did not linger to hear a possible reaction. This was far too personal to be eavesdropped on…

* * *

It was a very thoughtful Megatron who put the letter down a short while after it was delivered to him. It had been a surprising read, really. He had expected a certain amount of procrastination and possibly some… at best grief, at worst blubbering – but neither was present. Instead, Optronix went straight for the core, told of his feelings and impressions and even apologized for things he had no control over. It was on the edge of being painful, and the warlord couldn’t quite decide if it was a good or a bad kind of pain…

In light of the surprisingly collected goodbye letter, he did consider sending a note of some sort back. But in the end he decided it would be too cruel. It was better to have it as an ended period now, so that he had less to explain… less to apologize for when the time of choice came.

* * *

Aquablast felt elated, nervous and tired as his brothers and Optronix retired from the training arena to let the senior chassis guards have their work out. It had taken a few orn till the abashed dismay of being considered nothing more than a good warm up had faded. They had all thought they were good, they _were_ good… they were just not yet real professionals yet. Not on this level, the highest in the city state. 

Even Chirr was exhausted and the Avisea was usually a bundle of untamed energy. 

“My l… uh, Optronix?” his brother, Rage, started inquiringly. “Would you like us to escort you somewhere before going to the baths, or maybe you would like to join us?” Rage was a polite mech and it had been and was hard for him to get used to the fact that he should treat the noble, the Intended to their warlord!, as if they were friends. But that was one of the first things they had been told. Optronix was not an object; he was their lord, their master and he had to be their friend if they were to truly protect him right. Aquablast still found it enormously funny to watch his older brother stammer his way though questions to the younger Iaconian lord.

Optronix smiled, glad that Rage was finally managing to catch himself and just call him by his name. It was obvious that it was not easy for the mech and he appreciated the effort more than he could say. He wanted to be friends, comrades, with these mechs, after all…

“I think I might join you in the baths for a bit, actually. It’s still early and I would like to talk with you all some more if that’s okay?” he asked, glancing among the others for confirmation. 

“Of course, s-Optronix, we would be happy to talk to you!” 

Aquablast hid his smile before stepping up to rescue his floundering brother. 

“Your drone did very well today, Optronix,” he said as he bumped shoulder pauldrons with the smaller mech, as gently as could be, and smiled, “he had quite the unfair advantage in his small size. Chirr is completely exhausted!” A light hand on one of the slim shoulders and a slight pressure was enough to get the young mech going while answering.

The Iaconian beamed, leaning happily into the touch as they headed onward. 

“Thank you! Scorponok isn’t any better off now that we’ve settled down, but the workout is good for him. I’m sure he thinks he’ll be able to take anyone since he got the jump on your poor drone though… Little upstart is ambitious as all Pit.” He chuckled fondly as Scorponok clicked sleepily at him from his compartment, and was only a little startled when another hand touched his plating, this time just over where the drone was resting.

“Nothing wrong with a bit of ambition,” said Drench as he came up beside his brother and their charge, fingers rubbing both the small mech’s back and the drone’s nuzzling helm. “He quick on the uptake and it probably won’t be long before he figures out how to heckle the fliers while they’re on the wing, too. My poor Scry is already rattling his wings in fear!” 

An indignant squawk made quite clear what the large Avisea thought of that statement as it alighted on its master’s shoulder and nipped his helm reproachfully, but it only drew a laugh from the tactician. He reached up to swat at the sharp beak good-naturedly before petting the long neck of his drone. “Dun be such a priss about it, sweetling, or I’ll _tell_ him how to catch pretty birds like you.”

Chirr shook his wariness off to lift his head from his own dock on Aquablast’s back to hiss uncharitably at Drench. He was not used to a Scorponox drone running circles around him and would rather not be plucked from the sky by an overeager young one right this instant either. 

Aquablast laughed and reached up to stoke his annoyed bond partner over his beak. 

“Drench, shut up, you are not getting us any credit with our partners by talking like that!” But he was only kidding, just as he knew his annoyed drone would relax soon enough. “Something I have been meaning to ask you, Optronix. How strong is your bond with your little pitling?” He had been wondering and knew that Hydradread had too. For some the bond was light, just enough to cooperate well, but for others it was so deep they could actually communicate in a kind of image language, or words if you were really lucky. He could only do images with Chirr if either of them was greatly upset and even then it was vague and unfocused at best; usually he could only sense feelings, like now. Breakdown was lucky enough to be able to fully communicate with images and words alike with his felidea.

The tactician flickered an optic in a wink at his brother. “Gives them good reason to improve their own skills, brother. Of course, if they can’t even keep up with a sparkling…” he trailed off suggestively and felt Scry puff up in affront so much that the drone’s plating was flush with his helm and scraped with every step. He could almost hear the indignant ‘well, I never!’ that was surely going through the flier’s mind right then!

Optronix smiled, only relaxing further as the familiar bickering washed over him. Sure, it wasn’t Ratchet and Firestar like it might have been but it was still familiar!

The question confused him though, and he tilted his head curiously to look up at Aquablast. “How strong? What do you mean?”

“Mmm… what do I mean,” Aquablast shrugged and made a vague throwing gesture with one hand. It was such a big part of Kaon society that he had never considered how to explain to someone not of Kaon. 

“Everyone can feel their drone’s mental and often physical state, like pain or joy… that sort of thing. Like we know when they are hungry and when they are faking to get a treat, right? But some can actually talk to their drone, in images and very rarely in a form of words. So… how much do you feel from your little one?”

Optronix frowned as he analyzed his and Scorponok’s interactions. He hadn’t even thought that there could be different levels to it and everything was so natural that it never required consideration before… 

“Ah… Well, it’s mostly just the emotions? I mean, I can feel when he’s near but he’s also really expressive physically so… I’m not sure?” He didn’t think it was a bad thing since the image sharing thing seemed quite rare, but the Iaconian couldn’t help looking imploringly at his guards, seeking assurance he hadn’t even known he needed over the subject until right then. 

“That is perfect!” Hydradread’s cheerful voice broke in from behind, “you know, some scientists believed that only Kaonites could gain such a bond with the drones, but of course that was rather quickly disproven! And it’s certain that no consort or co ruler have ever had trouble connecting to a drone. The records go back forever!” He bent to pet Longtail’s head when the felidea coughed at his enthusiasm, but made no attempt to repent. 

“I doubt anyone has tried to give him a run down on drone history, ‘dread.” Aquablast grinned and shook his helmet. “How much do you know of the consort line, Optronix?”

“Not a whole lot, to be honest,” Optronix answered, a relieved grin lingering on his dermas as his worries were so easily assuaged. He didn’t think they would lie to him and really, if there had been any concern, Megatron would have brought it up, himself, wouldn’t he? “I’m rather drowning in all the history I’ve read so far as it is and am sure I’ve barely scratched the surface.”

“Right, you have lots of training too right? Shouldn’t we be in on some of it, Rage?” Hydradread turned from the conversation to ‘attack’ their older brother. 

“Hydradread’s the scientist, and he loves learning,” Aquablast smiled, the expression slipping into something slightly sheepish fast, “but we would rather love to sit in on some of your classes, or whatever you call them. High society of Kaon main city is… well, different than Theon, the village where we were Created and raised.”

While Rage tried to diplomatically handle said scientist’s inquiry, Optronix smiled in reply to Aquablast. “I’m sure that would be fine. I mean, we’re supposed to spend time together whenever possible, right? And I’d like to learn more about the outlying villages, too, if you all don’t mind talking about it. I have a feeling that I won’t get to see them as much as I would like… It was the same way in Iacon, too. Getting away from the main city is a task and a half and being Megatron’s, um, m-mate will only make it harder.”

“Sure! It would be nice to talk about home a bit,” Aquablast felt like fiddling with something, all of a sudden feeling _shy_. It was so easy to talk to the smaller mech, so easy to forget, at least partially, who he was… what he represented. And he had not even chosen the warlord yet! How would it be when he did. If he did… But there was honestly no way Aquablast could see the Iaconian saying no, from what they had seen of them together there was enough passion there to ignite the very air.

“I’d like to hear about Iacon, too… city and citystate. It just seems so strange compared to Kaon?”

“Oh, certainly! It _is_ different, that’s for sure… Adjusting has been an adventure all on its own. But we’re not all that different in the end, really, Iaconians are just less, uh… what’s a good word… straightforward? Blunt, possibly. Kaonites have Iaconians beat there, hands down.” Well, excluding Megatron; he could be extremely vague when he wanted to. Optronix tried not to think about that too much so that it wouldn’t get on his nerves, but it was difficult. 

“Less straightforward? How so? I mean…” Aquablast searched for a way to phrase the question more appropriately. He just could not imagine how to be, well, how to be not blunt! How could you have a meaningful conversation if you did not say what you meant to say outright? 

“Just, could you maybe explain?”

“I’m, ah, not sure how to word it…” Optronix hesitated, biting his derma as he thought for a moment. It was his own observation but trying to explain it was strange, to say the least! “It sounds inappropriate to say that many Iaconians are more subtle with their words and actions but I think that about sums it up, actually. Certainly, if I was expected to treat this courtship as an Iaconian one, I would be much less open with Megatron. I don’t really think it would be that enjoyable at all so I’m not sure why it is that way…” 

“Hmm… it sounds needlessly complicated at least! Here, we are only vague if something needs to be kept from someone for a certain time, and if it’s a secret we simply don’t talk about it. I mean, a secret is a secret… right?” Aquablast shrugged. 

“Hey! What are you two talking about now?” Hydradread left his discussion with Rage to jump right back into the conversation he had left behind. “What secrets?”

“What secrets?” Optronix mimicked, startled by the question for a moment before the rest of it caught up with him. “Oh, no. Hypothetically speaking, I think he meant? We don’t have any secrets. Or, I don’t, at any rate.” The same could most certainly not be said for some other mechs, but he decided not to point that out as the bathhouse finally came into view, its steamy pools a siren’s call as the evening chill began to really set in. Addressing Aquablast again, he added, “Yes, it is a bit needless when you stop to think about it, isn’t it? It’s a wonder no one has really noticed before, now that I think about it.”

“Iaconian courting versus Kaonite courting, Hydradread, and no secrets in particular,” Aquablast shook his helmet and smiled weakly at the smaller mech., “and we should get in the pools. We can continue to talk there.” 

“Iaconian courting? It’s different? How?” Hydradread grinned and turned to look at Optronix. “You don’t use shadow dancing and the like?” He was still walking, hardly noticing when a patiently put upon Aquablast steered him though the door instead of letting him continue straight into the doorpost. 

“Let’s get in the pool, ‘dread, I’m sure Optronix will answer you when he is comfortable!” He hoped so at least, it would be interesting to know the answers.

Optronix couldn’t help but smile at how excitable Hydradread was when it came to learning as he followed after the larger mechs after making sure that Rage and Drench were still with them. Though, they were all like that, weren’t they? To different extents of course, but still.

“It’s a little difficult to put into words since I’ve hardly started to really give thought to it myself, but I promise I’ll try to explain it for you once we’re settled in,” he assured the scientist so that he would continue moving obediently under his brother’s guiding hand. 

“I’m sure tha~” Aquablast stopped speaking, turning his helmet to the side. The baths were oddly quiet? There were usually some mechs here, the attendants if not anyone actually using the baths…

“’dread?” he questioned slowly, voice low. 

“What?” Hydradread picked up the cue from his brother easily, his voice quiet too as he questioned what might be wrong. He also stopped moving, aware that his walking backwards might have put them all in a problematic position.

“Is something wrong?” Optronix asked, worried about the sudden change of attitude from his guards. Were they just trying to freak him out or something?

The mood wasn’t lost on Drench or Rage as they brought up the rear of the party, either, though they remained nonchalant on the outside as they sidled further into the room. Drench’s arm went around Optronix’s shoulders and he offered the other a reassuring smile while shrugging the opposite shoulder enough for Scry to take flight. “Nothing to worry about, liege. The attendants are just out at the moment, probably doing the wash or something.” Lower, he added to the others, “Act normal. Get Chirr in the air too. Their baths aren’t down here on the main floor so let’s not act suspicious.”

“Come on, Chirr, you can’t be lazy about preening and you know the mech pools are too deep to be comfortable for you.” Chirr loved flapping about in too deep water as long as his bond mate was there to fish him out, but only Aquablast and his brothers knew that little bit of information. The Avisea played the cranky drone to the hilt, including nipping Aquablast’s neck cabling. He exclaimed though it had been little more than a loving touch. 

Hydradread’s Longtail slinked off without being signaled to, even as his bondmate cheerfully slapped Drench on the shoulder and jerked his helmet towards a shadowy corner. 

“I should go and see if I can scrounge us up some towels, no telling when the attendants will be back.” A shadow within the shadows. It could be anything, but under the circumstances it was most likely to be something bad. None of them remembered there being any furniture there.

Optronix, wanting to be helpful, moved as if to follow Hydradread but Drench kept a firm hold on him and instead steered him toward the pools. “Ah-ah, Optronix, you’re coming with me. Because of these overactive sparklings, I hardly get a chance to talk to you at all and I’m not letting the opportunity slip by now!”

“Oh! Well, okay, but that’s a lot of towels for one mech to carry…” The Iaconian tried to protest, but his concern was waved off.

“Don’t worry about that, he’s a big mech. He can handle some towels, I think. Unless you all know something about towels that I don’t?” Drench looked at his remaining brothers in mock inquiry.

“Not that I know.” Aquablast grinned, and moved forward, optics scanning the room disguised as looking for a good spot to get into the pools. “Aah, hot pools, the gods know I need them right now,” he said, blatantly exaggerating his tone for a laugh.

“If you need a hot soak, it’s only ‘cuz you let Wildrider lay the smackdown on you again,” Drench teased. Ignoring the Look he got from Rage for mentioning such a touchy subject, he winked conspiratorially at Optronix before continuing. “I’m starting to think you _like_ having your aft handed to you by him. You rarely spar with anyone else, it seems. What’s up with that?”

Rage debated the merits of stopping the conversation before it really got started, but his attention was more focused on Hydradread so he let it go. He hated it when his brothers went off on their own no matter that they were all well capable of taking care of themselves… None of their drones were giving off any sign of a serious threat though, so he probably needn’t worry. Right?


	18. Announcement for anyone still following this...

Hey guys, it's Rocklight-Tippers, AKA DinobotGlitch. Just a little heads up to all of you who have been keeping an eye on this and hoping for updates: this version of the story will NOT be receiving any more chapters and will eventually be deleted. Xobit and I are working on the updated version (4 chapters ready as of yesterday with chapter 5 in need of only a small scene addition!) as quickly as we can now that things have finally gotten settled for me. Once we start posting later this month, updates will be pretty regular because the story IS essentially complete. To anyone still out there and anyone who stumbles across this fic now, thanks so much for your time and for your patience. We hope to hear from all of you soon!

**Author's Note:**

> One important note about the story:  
> It is not set in any known 'verse rather it is the 'son' of mixing old Greek myths with transformers and then feeding the bunny a truck load of chocolate...
> 
> The look of the ‘verse is something of a mix between, 2007 Movie, TFA and G1. For this Greek'verse story we have art [click the link](http://murr-miay.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d2ir4hn)
> 
> you can find the DeviantArt group for it here [Greek'Verse](http://greekverse.deviantart.com/), where there is fan art and fan fics of the verse as well as 'official' stories and information about the 'verse!

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Cultures Collide](https://archiveofourown.org/works/606957) by [Akzeal](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akzeal/pseuds/Akzeal), [Xobit](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xobit/pseuds/Xobit)




End file.
